The Gloucester Lions Club got a big boost from county children during November in its effort to collect 500 pounds of plastic shopping bags.

Working in conjunction with Gloucester Clean Community, the club will exchange the bags for a composite bench to be placed at Walmart to accommodate Bay Transit patrons.

County clean community coordinator Rene Moring said all five county elementary schools, both county middle schools and the Weekday Learning Center participated in the collection drive in November.

Just before Thanksgiving, Moring said 35 large collection bags were taken to the Food Lion on Hargett Boulevard, where they weighed in at 318 pounds to put the Gloucester Lions more than halfway to their goal. 

Page collected the most bags overall and filled 13 collection bags. Seventh graders in a class taught by Jaci Glaser led the way, collecting over 1,000 plastic bags alone. She said students in her three classes together collected 2,400 bags.  Bethel Elementary had ...