What's one of the best ways to get rid of graffiti painted on your building?

Ask dozens of local kids who spent most of Tuesday cleaning up a years-vacant downtown building that may soon be a bustling part of the community, and they'll all probably give you the same answer:

More paint.

"If people have to come to work every day and see that, it's kind of unpleasant," said Kelsie Field, 13, as she pointed to a bit of graffiti peeking out from underneath a fresh coat of primer.

Inside the old Northern Hotel parking garage, at the intersection of North Broadway and Montana Avenue, kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County, Friendship House and the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch got together to wipe the place clean.

Mike Dennis, the Boys & Girls Clubs' chief professional officer, said the graffiti cleanup helps show kids how they can help their community out with a real, current problem and at the same time shows them the damage such crimes can cause.

"It's not just a blank wall," he said. "It's somebody's home, somebody's business."

And there was plenty of work for the kids to do. Graffiti was scrawled throughout the three floors of the garage, which has sat unused for several years. Dennis said he expected about 20 kids to show up for Tuesday's cleanup, but the number was closer to 40 by 2:30 that afternoon.

With paint-speckled faces, the kids tackled the building beginning at 10 a.m. and by 2 p.m. had power-washed the interior walls and covered them in a fresh coat of primer.

"They do see a lot of graffiti in the community," said Jessica Sprattler, site coordinator with the Friendship House. "By us showing how to clean it up, it teaches them how to beautify that community."

Two of those kids, Brittani Ryan, 12, and Braylon Randall, 11, said it was hard work but that they realized they were doing something good for the community.

"Going around the building and looking at all the graffiti, then getting rid of it felt good," Braylon said. "It takes away all the graffiti and maybe people will like it a little more."

Dennis said the project started when the new owners of the garage and the Northern Hotel, brothers Chris and Mike Nelson, contacted him about a month ago. The hotel and the Boys & Girls Clubs had a longstanding relationship before the hotel closed in 2006, something both sides wanted to continue.

Kids from all three groups will be on hand again today to finish painting over the graffiti.

"It's washing all of that away," said Morgan Spoja, 13. "It kinda feels good. It's like 'I cleaned that.' "

The Nelson brothers hope to reopen the garage and hotel soon.