This Week's Spotlight: Nanuet Cub Scout Pack 233: Dens 8 and 9

On April 14, about 14 Nanuet Cub Scouts from Pack 233: Dens 8 and 9, participated in Keep Rockland Beautiful's (KRB) . It was coordinated by den leader Kathy Whitney, who chose the date to coincide with the Nanuet Clean Up day.

"Originally we were going to clean up the area behind the Veteran's Park on Route 59 as we have in the past but KRB contacted me to let me know that the youth of St. Anthony's were cleaning by their school which abuts the property.  They asked if we would mind changing our area to an area that had a history of collecting a lot of run off debris.  We were then assigned the Pascack Brook between Blue Heron and Old Nyack Turnpike," said Whitney.

And what a job it was. According to Whitney and most of the Cub Scouts, the area was a real mess. Some of the Scouts showed up with their parents and siblings who helped out as well.

The hard work of the clean up was masked behind the adventure of a bunch of eight- and nine-year-old boys, who together with their friends, discovered funny treasures as well as some undesirable items.

"The best part of the day was finding a lot of interesting stuff like a backpack, toys, even underwear which was gross. But seeing what was in the water was cool," said Cub Scout Nick Urzi.

"I saw a chair in the river and lots of cans. There were a bunch of tires and a baby toy quad which was interesting," said Cub Scout Jonathan Gonzalez.

At the end of the day the boys had collected about 20 bags of garbage along with larger items such as tires and baby toys that wouldn't fit into the bags.

This is the third year that Kathy Whitney has been a den leader and has spearheaded her scouts' participation in the event.

"It helps the boys to take ownership in something and feel pride in knowing that even as kids that they can make a difference.  It also teaches them that litter definitely adds up.  I think after they participate, they are more likely to think before they throw something on the ground or out a window," said Whitney.

The boys spent three hours on one Saturday and were able to make a huge difference for the people who live in that area, drive by that area and those who live in Nanuet. And they had fun doing it.

"It was a fun walking around and cleaning up with my friends. It was a little gross but I found something interesting, a duck statue with a broken tail," said Cub Scout Jimmy Whitney.

The goal of Keep Rockland Beautiful is to encourage and promote the local community to take charge and clean up their neighborhoods to keep up the integrity and beauty of the environment in the county.

Congratulations to Kathy Whitney and all the Cub Scouts from Pack 233, Dens 8 and 9, who participated in Keep Rockland Beautiful. You made a difference and your community applauds your effort.

Thank you!