Spring, so far, has brought with it a fair amount of wind and rain with a healthy dose of sunshine too. The fact that runoff from soggy days and the usual breeze moves litter everywhere and unearths what we all left behind over the winter brings to mind the most significant movement to take care of this trash: The Great American Cleanup, continuing through June 22.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to roll up your sleeves, make a difference, and be part of something bigger!” Keep Nebraska Beautiful encourages on its website.
Keep Alliance Beautiful promotes and takes part in GAC events each spring. Individuals, families, groups and organizations may stop by our office in the lower level of the City Municipal Building for gloves, grabbers and trash bags. We have forms to keep track of participants and how much they clean up. Volunteer hours benefit KAB as we apply for various grants. Call 308-762-1729 for information.
Litter is easy to find in Alliance and, I would almost guarantee, in any other American community and the byways in between. Last week I had the occasion to drop off our family vehicle at a local garage and walk back to work. My route went along street shoulders, sidewalks and ditches. Filling a large trash bag would have been easy. Granted, part of the walk was more on the outskirts of town where the elements take more of these items. Also, fewer groups target these areas when carrying out cleanups compared to parks and other areas the public expect to be presentable. Even the litter I stepped around is not as noticeable passing by in a car. Anywhere is deserving of a cleanup to help keep our community beautiful.
National Honor Society members from Alliance High School spent part of a recent afternoon picking up litter around the KAB recycling center. We greatly appreciate their efforts though the wind quickly combined with customers’ unsecured recyclables to clutter the lot again.
Organized cleanups to solo litter walks with a bag all help. Prevention is even better. As the owner of a new dog, bringing a bag is a must. There are at least two new signs within a block of our house discouraging that type of litter on the lawn. Unfortunately where we walk our canine it ranks right up there with empty pop bottles.
Spring brings transition as flowers, trees and birds make daily life colorful. Join the Great American Cleanup and see the difference.