It’s a Race to Recycle, and Maricopa Middle School has signed up to participate. The Student Council and their sponsor, science teacher Renee Sanders, are undertaking a brand-new fundraising project, and they could really use the community’s support.

Motorola sponsors the Race to Recycle program, which works on two levels. First, Maricopa residents, their friends and families can get rid of all the old cell phones they have tucked in drawers and desks. Maricopa Middle School will receive $3 for every intact cell phone they collect and send to Motorola.

Student Council’s goal is to collect 3,000 cell phones in an ongoing effort to raise $9,000 to purchase a sound system for the new Maricopa Wells Junior High School. The system would be used for assemblies and sports events. Current middle school students know that their new school will cost a lot, and they want to do their part. Any additional monies raised will provide funding for activities and field trips.

The project helps not only the school and the Maricopa community, but also the environment. Old cell phones that are not disposed of properly may be harmful. Recycling these phones can prevent lead, mercury and cadmium from leaking into our water supply.

More than 1.7 billion people around the world use cell phones, and about 23 new headsets are produced every second of each day, according to Motorola. The end result is countless numbers of cell phones, which, if not disposed of properly, create an environmental overload.

Every Friday the 30 students in the Maricopa Middle School Student Council meet for about 30 minutes to discuss and implement their goals and projects. The group’s president is Tatum Early. Sierra Skousen is vice president; Caitlin Snow is secretary; and Kassidi Figueroa is the treasurer.

Middle School Student Council President Tatum Early.

The Race to Recycle project committee: (left to right) Sierra Skousen, Sara Richardson, Kassidi Figueroa and Caitlin Snow.

If you have an old cell phone or two lying around the house, donate it to the Race to Recycle. Drop-off locations include: Fry’s customer service desk, the district office for Maricopa’s schools on Honeycutt Avenue and Wireless Central in the Bashas’ Fiesta Center.

If you want to be a part of the Race to Recycle, clean out those drawers and desks. Drop your old cell phone off today. You will be helping the middle school, the community and the environment.