David Mack (center) talking with the LETS GO team in summer 2012

Hello everyone! My name is David Mack. I am from Evanston, but have lived in Rogers Park all of my life. I just finished my freshman year on June 12. I’m one of the youngest to join Summer of Solutions at the age of 13 (I am 14 now). I am doing my second year here. I like this program because it gives me the chance to make a change in my town. I mean, who wouldn’t want to make their home a better place if they were given the chance? I was given the chance, and now I’m making my home a better place.

I am part of the Green Infrastructure team, which deals with rain gardens, rain barrels, and cooperative business development. So far, our group has not done much because we finished Launch Week not too long ago. We did, however, do some weeding in the rain garden at the United Church of Rogers Park. We also looked back at the history of co-ops a little.

LETS GO Chicago team members weeding a rain garden in summer 2012

Right now, we are helping out a friend of ours, who is part of the United Church of Rogers Park. His back yard flooded because of the thunderstorms we had. It was a mess really. It was full of water. In one spot, the water was knee-deep.

Luckily for our friend, we are here to help him. We are going to dig swales, and direct the water into the rain gardens we will build in the yard. That way, he won’t have to deal with flooding in the future.

LETS GO Green Infrastructure team digging a swale for a rain garden

I’m looking forward to doing more in the Business Development of our group. In the coming weeks, I will be helping out with the marketing plan of what we will do with our rain barrels. We will be selling these barrels and building rain gardens for our business to help support the organization. All right, here we go! Let’s Go Chicago!