Photo: The Clean Streets of Bensonhurst

A reader sent us this photo over the weekend. It shows local high school students, neighbors and even small children preparing to take the cleanliness of our streets into their own hands on Saturday.

The massive cleanup, organized by Assemblyman William Colton with hardware provided by the NYC Department of Sanitation, included more than 400 teenagers doing battle with the forces of litter on 86th Street between 19th Avenue and 26th Avenue, as well as on adjacent side streets.

This is precisely the kind of thing that brings smiles to our faces and makes us feel extremely lucky to live in a neighborhood where people care this much.

To everyone that took part, including Our Lady of Grace Church Youth Team, students from Midwood High School, students from Brooklyn Technical High School, students from New Utrecht High School, members of Bensonhurst Cluster Youth Ministry, members of Our Lady of Grace Boys & Girls Scouts troops, members of the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn Youth Club, and NYC Comptroller John Liu’s Youth Action Team, thank you. You just made our month.

Assemblyman William Colton represents Assembly District 47, which includes Bensonhurst, as well as parts of Gravesend and Midwood