CLEANING CREW PROVES VOLUNTEER CLASS ACT.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The staff of Lankershim Elementary School and a hardy crew of volunteers pulled off the near impossible on Saturday morning - not only did they get hundreds of kids to go to school on the weekend, but they also got the youngsters to clean.

And the kids liked it, too.

Youngsters showed up in droves, eagerly grabbing brooms and hoses. For 4 1/2 hot hours, they scrubbed, they mowed, they polished and planted. In spite of the broiling heat, they made their school shine.

``I really enjoyed it,'' said a beaming Elizabeth Garcia, a fifth-grader who pulled garden duty. ``With everyone helping, it's like we're a family working together.''

The project, cobbled together by the efforts of Lankershim's staff, the East Valley Senior Center, the Salvadoran American Leadership Educational Fund and various local businesses, drew in more than 300 parent and student volunteers.

Principal Debbie Rambeau pronounced the turnout to be a rousing success. ``Everyone's sweating but glad to be here,'' she said, pausing to lean on her broom. ``It's important for the kids to come to a clean school. It helps their self-esteem. When they see the community come together, it makes them excited to see that everyone cares.''

Kindergarten teacher Sara Smith liked what she saw in her energetic young sweeping crew. ``I see more passion from the children. They really want to see their own place clean. Everyone's working faster, harder and with more spirit.''