Samantha Raber woke before dawn on October’s first Monday. It was cold, rainy, and her first thoughts were of more sleep; it was too early for a regular school day. Raber, 18, a senior at Maranatha Christian School (MCS) in Sugarcreek, knew she was in for a pretty trashy day.

For 20 years, teams of high school students of MCS have spent a day cleaning up the streets of Holmes County. Rising as early as 5 a.m. to comb sections of township roads until late afternoon, these teens collect what careless travelers toss from their vehicles. And while students admitted that there were fun aspects to the Trash-a-Thon, they agreed that picking up hundreds of bags of other people’s garbage along a total of 70 miles of Berlin and Walnut Creek roadsides was not what they would choose on a typical autumn day.

“It’s a good time,” said Alex Mullet, 16, of Sugarcreek, a junior at MCS who sported a heavy green windbreaker, a thick winter hat and rain-soaked jeans, “but, today especially, we were tired and miserable.”

In spite of rain and fatigue, the students were in good spirits, laughing and joking with one another.

Michael Schlabach, high school teacher and former MCS student, has overseen the program for five years.

“It started in 1992 to raise money for class parties and Christmas banquets,” said Schlabach. “They raised a couple thousand dollars that year and it has steadily grown.”

The record, Schlabach said, was $11,087.

For five years, Schlabach has issued a standing challenge to break that record. If surpassed, Schlabach would take a pie to the face. His countenance has remained clean until this year, when students raised $11,604. The fruits of their labor will go to class trips, school improvements, and international missions.

The choice of pie will go to the students.

“We’re trying to figure out which kind is his least favorite,” said Mullet, “but he keeps telling us what he likes best. I think we’ll have to ask his wife.”

But a pie in the teacher’s face and a larger bank account are just two of the program’s assets. The project also teaches students the consequences of their actions.

“I think twice before throwing things out my window,” said Raber. She and her team surmised that most people toss trash out of habit or thoughtlessness.

Freshman Derrick Wengerd, 14, of Walnut Creek, said he won’t be quite so thoughtless in the future.

“I’ll think about the people who do cleanup in their area,” said Wengerd. “If I throw trash out, they’ll have to pick it up.”

That’s one benefit Schlabach sees from the cleanup.

“Most students who do the Trash-a-Thon curb their littering habits,” said Schlabach. He shuttles the teams from site to site, putting about 200 miles on the vehicle by day’s end. Last year, the group picked up 60 bags of trash, 1,400 pounds over 70 miles. This year, there wasn’t nearly as much. Schlabach hopes that’s a sign that people are becoming more responsible.

Kristi Mullet, of Sugarcreek, a teacher’s aide at MCS, participated in the program as a high schooler. Now, she enjoys nurturing relationships with the project’s participants. Mullet feels she and the students are providing an important service to others.

“It’s a way to bless the community,” said Mullet. Schlabach added that they are grateful for how the community has blessed them, especially the friends, families and businesses that sponsored the event.

“The students see what their work raises,” said Schlabach, “and it makes it worth walking seven miles to clean up trash.”

For more information about Maranatha Christian School, a private K-12 facility of the Maranatha Beachy Amish Church, contact principal Mark Miller at 330-852-4322.