Because Great Neck North Middle School Principal Pat Sullivan and his students dared to care, they came up with a campaign, three years ago, to help keep their school a clean and friendly place...

Because Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Bob Rosegarten, his board of trustees, and his beautification committee dared to care, they reached out to North Middle and challenged these sixth, seventh and eighth graders to take their campaign out into the community...

Because the school and the village dared to care, a contest was initiated, a contest to come up with a slogan and a picture to be the hallmark of a ''Keep Great Neck Clean'' campaign...

Because the North Middle teachers dared to care, they encouraged their students, worked with them, to come up with some really great themes...

Because the youngsters really did dare to care, 350 of them entered the contest, with the two winners working with the mayor to complete a wonderful banner and poster---''Keep Great Neck Clean!! Just Trash It!''...

Because the Plaza really dares to care, too, the Business Improvement District presented the two winners each with $100 gift certificates; and in addition, two banners now fly in the village, 20 new trash cans are in place, and the merchants graciously display the winning poster in their shops...

Because they all dared to care, our downtown area, and hopefully the rest of the peninsula too, will be a cleaner place...

Because they all dared to care, perhaps a whole school of youngsters now see the value of caring and reaching out...

Because they dared to care, maybe ''what goes around, comes around,'' and we will all see a friendlier Great Neck.

Thank you Dr. Sullivan and your North Middle students!

Thank you Mayor Rosegarten and the Village of Great Neck Plaza!