As part of its efforts to end a common perception that substance abuse is tolerated on Vashon, the Vashon Alliance to Reduce Substance Abuse (VARSA) will put on its second Dump Vashon event.

On Saturday morning, students and other volunteers will comb Vashon Highway and other main roads for trash. They hope to not only make the Island a cleaner place but also educate the community about the Island’s large amount of alcohol-related trash.

At the first Dump Vashon event last spring, volunteers picked up 300 pounds of litter. Robin Blair, who chairs VARSA and helps organize the youth-led event, said that nearly two thirds of the trash was alcohol related — mostly beer cans.

“Doing this project gives us an opportunity to paint a vision of what trash looks like when it’s picked up off our Island,” Blair said.

The event, organized by a group of students from Vashon High School, is put on in partnership with King County’s Adopt-A-Road program. Some groups that have adopted roads will use the event to fulfill their litter-collecting requirement, and student volunteers will work to recruit even more groups to adopt Vashon roads.

The work isn’t done when the trash is picked up, though. Students will photograph and document the litter, collecting information to be shared with the community and spurring conversation about teen drinking.

“If you have a community that is aware if its surroundings and does a good job taking care of the environment, you’re generally a better place,” Blair said.

For more information or to volunteer at the event, contact Robin Blair at 617-5190 or robineblair@gmail.com.