As part of our Christian Service Program, ten 8th graders volunteered with Recreational Fisheries Research Institute this past Sunday to clean up the Tchefuncte River Foundation beach and the Madisonville boat launch.

Boaters often use the Tchefuncte River Foundation beach as a place to drop anchor and enjoy a day on the water. However, it is only accessible by boat, making it a challenge to clean up. The Recreational Fisheries Research Institute (RFRI) transported a group of Crusader volunteers to the beach where they spent a few hours picking up trash and recyclables that had either been left or washed up on the shore. They gathered multiple garbage bags worth of materials in just a few hours. Randy and Cherie Pausina from RFRI spoke with the students about where the refuse came from and the impact it has on the wildlife in the area. After lunch, the group motored by the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse and set to work cleaning up the Madisonville boat launch. Overall, the day was a meaningful, educational, and fun experience in caring for God's creation.

Brother Martin Participants:
Brodi DePhillips
Hudson Fields
Bradley Godbold
Keith Howard
Daniel Jarreau
Logan Lombardi
Jack Norwood
James "Hardie" Pote
Kennon Russo
Caden Schmidt
Ms. Mary Russo (mother of Kennon)
Mr. Chris McCabe

We would like to thank Mr. Christopher McCabe for spearheading this effort and each of our Crusader volunteers for helping in this worthwhile project. Volunteering and giving projects such as this help form our Crusaders for life.