Hellgate High School to Celebrate Earth Day With “Trashion” Show, Visit From Lt. Governor

This Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day, and Hellgate High School plans on celebrating in style. Earth day themes will pop up at school all week long, but Hellgate Mathematics professor Lee Brown says one of the most popular events will happen on Friday.

"It was started about four years ago by a young student Jessie Stevenson, and it's called the 'trashion' show," Brown said. "Kids take recycled materials and try to make clothes out of it. This year, we're kind of expanding it to going to thrift shops and other places, like Goodwill, and trying to see what kind of outfit they can get together for a set price."

Brown heads up a group called Students against Violating the Environment, or S.A.V.E, which has drawn the attention of Montana Lieutenant Governor Angela McLean, who will be in town on Tuesday.

"Hellgate S.A.V.E. students they focused on two primary things: expanding the recycling program we have at Hellgate High School, and also a new thing we are trying to add is composting," said Brown. "We've been working at trying to install a very, very large composter called an Earth Tub."

The Earth Tub project helped Hellgate become one of thirteen High schools statewide to win a one thousand dollar award from the SMART Schools Challenge that McLean began this year.