NEWBERRY — In March, Keep America Beautiful kicked off the Great American Clean Up and this weekend, one of its sub-affiliates — Keep Newberry County Beautiful — will be holding a countywide clean up event.
“The Great American Clean Up is where we all get together, we are going to be bringing the Keep Newberry County Beautiful trailer out to Piedmont Technical College and handing out supplies to anyone interested in assisting in a county wide clean up,” said Danielle Rowe, executive director of KNCB.
The clean up will begin at 9 a.m. and will last until noon. Rowe recommends volunteers come by starting at 8:30 a.m. to pick up gloves, vests, trash pick-up tools and bags.
“This event helps people become aware of the litter problem in our county and state. It is a huge problem, the amount of trash along our roads and ditches,” said Doug Heydt, chairman of KNCB. KNCB is also a sub-affiliate of Palmetto Pride.
Volunteers will be able to pick their own location to pick up trash. If they do not have a location in mind, Rowe will designate a spot for them.
However, she said all volunteers will be responsible for their own transportation.
“There are plenty of parks I can designate them to clean. It does not just have to be a side of the road. We are cleaning any sort of public area, like parks or parking lots,” Rowe said.
Rowe further recommends that volunteers come in groups for safety measures. She will also put up “Caution litter pick up” signs for further safety measures.
This event will be for all of Newberry County. While Rowe will be in the City of Newberry handing out supplies, individuals will be able to clean any public area they choose. KNCB will also be working in conjunction with Adopt-A-Highway and their Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up, which will be on the same day.
“Helping take part in this clean up will help keep things off the roadways. We are in the spring time, and everything is starting to bloom, and animals are coming out. Your trash, like cigarette butts, is harmful to animals. They do not know the difference between what is good and what is bad,” Rowe said. “This will also help keep the county aesthetically pleasing to anyone who comes to visit the county.”
During the clean up, Rowe will be giving out coffee and doughnut holes to volunteers. Volunteers will also receive a reusable tote donated by Stacy Guy with Newberry County Recycling.
“The City of Newberry and I would like to thank Keep Newberry County Beautiful and Adopt-A-Highway for leading this effort. Not only will Saturday make a big difference, it also encourages people all year to be mindful of having as little litter as possible in our community. We appreciate all the volunteers that are part of this cleanup,” Mayor Foster Senn said.