The Standish Recreation summer program held its second annual Day of Service earlier this week. Campers from Edna Libby and George E. Jack elementary schools completed three community service projects including trash and cigarette butt cleanup, nature trail renovations, and a fundraising bike-a-thon.

Started last year by summer Outreach Coordinator and Boston University student Katie Brooks, daughter of the Standish Recreation Director Linda Brooks, the Day of Service aims to teach kids community responsibility.

“I started the program so the kids could realize that there is more to life than just getting, getting, getting,” said Katie Brooks. “It is one day where the kids can get involved and understand this is important to their community.”

Although the older kids are skeptical at first, Brooks saw a quick change during the day.

“Once the kids start getting high-fives, and thank yous, they really understand,” said Katie Brooks.

On Monday, the George E. Jack campers ranging in age from 10 to 12, reported to the intersection of Routes 113 and 11 in Steep Falls. Once there, they were handed garbage bags, rubber gloves, and orders to grab all the cigarette butts they could.

“The key is to look at something globally,” said Linda Brooks. “We choose an environmental issue and look at how it affects our earth.”

Recreation programmer Brett Levin explained that cigarette butts are destructive to the earth in many ways.

“Cigarette butts are washed by stormwater into our drains and ultimately have an impact on our freshwater systems,” said Levin. “It’s important to realize cigarette butts are trash and can change the chemical nature of the aquatic ecosystems.”

In another part of Standish, the Edna Libby campers hung freshly painted birdhouses and newly laminated arrows on trees along the Jerry Spencer Trail in Standish. Spencer was a well-respected former town councilor and active citizen in town.

Finally all Standish Recreation campers were invited to participate in this year’s fund raiser, a bike-a-thon to benefit Standish resident Josh Conley, who is battling Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Conley recently received a bone marrow transplant and the money raised from the bike-a-thon will go toward his medical bills.

Each year, the money raised during the bike-a-thon is donated to a different organization or family in need.

“The campers help decide where the money will be donated and this year it was an obvious choice for them,” said Brooks. “There really wasn’t much of a discussion, most of the kids at Rec know Josh and his family and wanted to help out.”

The event, held last Thursday, raised more than $1,000.

Last year, the campers held a “Penny Drive” and donated the money to the Recreation Department in the city of Slidell, La., a community heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

“This year’s day of service was just as successful as last year’s,” said Linda Brooks.

Katie Brooks agreed.

“The program has done what I wanted it to do. It is really cool to see,” she said.

Ross Brown, of Swan Road in Standish, proudly holds his bag of trash during Standish Recreation’s Annual Day of Service.