A group of fifth graders at Half Day elementary school led an Earth Day initiative in the Lincolnshire community Wednesday to make up for the cancellation of a planned rally.
Milt King, 10, his twin brother, Lewis, and their classmate, Aria Grossenbach, 11, wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by holding a large community rally, but social distancing guidelines forced them to postpone it.
In an effort to honor the day and continue to promote their belief in the importance of sustainability and the environment, the young activists created a window rally, a way for people to show their support from their own homes.
“When things change, you’ve got to adjust,” Lewis King said.
With promotional help from their school and the village of Lincolnshire, the students encouraged people to make creative signs, showing support for the planet and spreading sustainable messages, out of materials already found in their homes.
In place of paintbrushes, participants used forks, old sponges and their own hands. Along with their crafts, they shared ways they can protect the planet, including using less plastic and water, composting and picking up trash.
They also encouraged people to walk around their neighborhoods, look for the signs and post photos online. They said they were happy to see several dozen participants and positive community feedback.
Participants sent photos to the village with reasons why they care about the earth, and their names were entered into a drawing for a gift card to Half Day Brewing Company.
With Earth Day’s proximity to Arbor Day — April 24 — the students and the village also partnered to promote other green initiatives during the week, including yard cleaning, planting flowers, picking up litter and practicing sustainability in their homes.
“It shows how much the village cares and how willing they are to do small things that make a big difference,” Milt King said.
Village officials said they were happy to be part of the community engagement opportunity, especially during a time when everyone is kept apart physically.
“The village of Lincolnshire was very pleased with the outcome of the window rally on Earth Day,” mayor Elizabeth Brandt said in an email. “The students were a joy to work with and extremely professional.”
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The students are involved in Half Day School’s Green Team club. The club has led composting and recycling initiatives in their school and held two rallies in the last six months, according to the King brothers.
“We’re not the type of people to watch terrible things happen,” Lewis King said. “We want to make a difference.”
The intended Earth Day rally was expected to begin with a walk from the Vernon Area Public Library to the old Fresh Market parking lot in Lincolnshire. The students were planning to chant, listen to speakers and post several stations at which participants could plant milkweed, recycle and learn about sustainable practices.
They said they hope to reschedule the event for July or August, depending on safety guidelines from health and government officials.
Julia Hamilton, the boys’ mother, said she was proud of all the work the kids had put into the rally. She said she was disappointed that it had to be postponed, but she was impressed by their flexibility to adjust the event and continue to spread the intended message.
“I think the whole point of the rally was the educational piece,” she said. “They were trying to make people aware of the support for the environmental issues.”
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist