The Lake Zurich Rotary Club was out in force for their bi-annual road clean-up.  About a dozen Rotary members gathered  during the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 15, to pick up trash along Ela Road from Route 22 to Cuba Road as part of their Adopt A Highway Program.

The effort has been a tradition for the last 15 years, and normally occurs in April and October or when the weather permits.

Two Lake Zurich High School students who head the Interact Club, a subsidiary of the Rotary Club, also pitched in to clean up the roadside.

The focus of Interact mirrors the mission of the Rotary; to provide humanitarian service and bring goodwill to people through philanthropic volunteerism.

"Being a part of Interact has been a great experience; getting involved in the community is one of the greatest things we can do in high school," said David Messerschmidt, Interact co-president.

"I really like being a part of things like this, because it brings us out in the community and makes an impact on peoples' lives," said Tracy Kapraun, Interact co-president.

Interact is sponsored by Lake Zurich High School and has more than 200 members, which makes it the largest club at the high school.

Doug Ahlgrim has been a member of the Lake Zurich Rotary for more than 15 years, and a part of the Adopt A Highway roadside clean-up since it began.  "This is our way of giving back to the community in a way that everyone can see and appreciate," said Ahlgrim.