Student Environmental Group Wins $10,000

The Lake Kleenerz, a group of Hawken students, who`ve committed themselves to maintain the quality of Lake Erie waters recently won the Seaworld/Busch Gardens Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Award and $10,000 to help with their continued efforts. The award has been given since 1993 to students that have displayed exemplary commitment to preserving the environment. The Kleenerz work to educate the public about the potential threats to Lake Erie by traveling the area and presenting at local elementary, middle and high schools as well as creating informational pamphlets and brochures. There were only seven other recipients from around the country to receive the honor from Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. As part of winning, the students were invited to Tampa to receive the award at Busch Gardens and to be special guests at the opening of Jungala, a new exotic jungle attraction in the park. This is second award the group has received this school year. In November, the group was awarded a mini-grant of nearly $5,000 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency`s Office of Environmental Education. The grant was used to buy computer to create educational CDs, displays and presentations to help in developing an educational nature center at the Cleveland Lakefront State Park. This year`s Kleenerz are sophomores Zack Lawrence, Greg Pasiadis, Charlie Primbas, Brian Vogt, John Wilson and senior Angela Primbas.