For more than 30 years, students at West Fallowfield Christian School (WFCS) have participated in Trash Stash, an effort to clean up local roadways and parks while also raising money for the school.

During this year's event, held on April 15, approximately 200 students from preschool through eighth grade, along with their parents, participated in the cleanup.

The event is held to coincide with Earth Day and the annual "Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful" initiative. All participants wore orange safety vests and gloves provided by the program.

Worksites this year included Silver Maple Farms in Cochranville, Salisbury Township Community Park (also known as Gap Park), The Parkesburg POINT youth center and Parkesburg's Minch Park. Some students picked up trash along Route 10 near Hershey's Farm Market and Walmart, while others stayed at the school to clean up the playground and the surrounding property.

"We also (worked) up and down Fallowfield Road around the school," said Patricia Slaughter, WFCS director of development. "This year, we had preschool and pre-K students help out on campus."

By the end of the day, students and parent volunteers had collected about 93 bags of trash.

To raise money, WFCS students sent donation letters prior to the event. "They wrote letters to family, friends and businesses to raise money to support them in collecting the trash," Slaughter noted.

Additionally, WFCS had a dumpster available at the school from Harris Metals of Coatesville several days prior to the cleanup where school family members and the community could donate recyclable metal.

"We had a list of things you could recycle," explained Slaughter, noting that electronics were not accepted. "People donated grills and office furniture that was metal. (Proceeds from) all the things that were collected in the dumpster was donated (back) to the school by Harris Metals."

On May 12, the school hosted a Trash Stash celebration, where prizes were awarded to those who raised the most money and who wrote the most letters. All students were provided a treat from Penny's Ice Cream Truck.

Prizes included tickets to the Philadelphia Phillies, Dutch Wonderland, Knoebels Amusement Resort, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Downingtown, Palace Bowling & Entertainment Center in Downingtown and the Crayola Experience, as well as Chick-fil-A coupons and a week of free summer camp at WFCS.

At the celebration, WFCS announced that its students raised more than $30,000 for the school's operating budget through the 2023 Trash Stash event. This is the 35th year that the school has participated in the program.

WFCS, located at 795 Fallowfield Road, Atglen, serves students from the Avon Grove, Coatesville, Octorara, Oxford, Pequea Valley, Solanco and Unionville-Chadds Ford area school districts. Financial aid is available. For more information, visit http://www.wfcs.org or the school's social media accounts or call the office at 610-593-5011.