Teens 'pitch in' to clean up Rillito Wash

  • Published
  • By Diane M. Kephart
  • Desert Lightning News
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Twelve Davis-Monthan teens and three staff members worked for several hours Saturday to help clean up the Rillito River Park Wash as part of "Make a Difference! Day," a national day of volunteering to build better communities. 

"Our main purpose is to change the adult perception of teens," said Semmi Quarles, son of Master Sgt. Stacy Quarles. "We want to do things to better the community." 

The teens are part of Arizona's Finest Keystone Club, which is a character leadership and development club for the youth who run the club and for those who participate in community service projects on- and off- Davis-Monthan. 

The youth are working towards an award for "Changing adults perspective on teens" by reaching out in the community, said Angie Wilkinson, Davis-Monthan Youth Center teen activities coordinator and group advisor. 

Each event attracted from 15 to 50 volunteers who cleared the Rillito river bed from litter, construction debris, old car parts, broken and abandoned shopping carts and other trash in the river bed. 

One community member said he was grateful that the D-M teens donated their time and that Saturday's clean-up was the ninth in the group's three-year existence.
"Youth groups are learning at a young age that community service can be both fun and rewarding," said Bruce Hilpert, Rillito Basin Coalition. 

"We have been especially fortunate in gaining the support of teenagers and military personnel from Davis-Monthan."