Big group of Holley students give canal, village a clean sweep
100-plus hunt down litter; Today’s effort dedicated to Danny Cory, husband of retired Holley principal
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Ryan Seward, a Holley seventh-grader, snags an empty beer can from a drainage area next to the Holley Pharmacy. He is joined by friends Mason McGuire, top left, and Logan Lane with the trash bag.
They were among more than 100 Holley students and many other school and community volunteers who were out picking up garbage in Holley’s annual Canal Clean Sweep effort.
Holley makes the event a big effort, with students getting a tie-dyed T-shirt to mark the occasion. Students also get a sense of pride in cleaning up litter in the village and along the canal towpath in the town of Murray and Village of Holley.
Holley Mayor Mark Bower addresses the group at about 10 a.m. in the elementary school parking lot. He thanked them for helping to make the Holley community a better place.
The students split into smaller groups with two adult volunteers in each pod. Elementary students in the Rotary Early Act group picked up litter along the canal. The Early Act Club, for students in grades 4 to 6, is led by Jessica Seaward.
The junior-senior high school students dispersed into different parts of the village, as well as the canal park to hunt down trash.
Before the left, they were welcome to a Paula’s Donut. Holley Rotary Club member Craig Lane picked up 10 dozen donuts early this morning. He has made Paula’s Donuts part of the annual tradition for the canal clean sweep.
Brian Bartalo, the Holley school district superintendent, takes a photo of the large group. Many of the students are in the Holley Interact Club, which is led by advisors Samantha Zelent and Erin Dibble.
“They are very excited about this,” Dibble said about the annual cleanup. “this is our biggest event of the year.”
Dibble and Zelent thanked the students, and many teachers and parents who stepped up as volunteers.
Brian Bartalo also addressed the group before they headed out for about two hours of volunteer service.
The cleanup effort was dedicated to Danny Cory, the husband of retired Holley principal Susan Cory. Mr. Cory passed away unexpectedly on April 22 at age 61 while on a vacation with his wife in Nashville.
Mr. Cory attended numerous Holley school events while his wife was principal. Even though he was proud to be a Le Roy graduate, he became an enthusiastic Holley Hawk.
Kayla Neale, a Holley senior, designed the t-shirt for the annual cleanup day.
The students were on the hunt for trash in the village and along the canal.
