Keep Alachua County Beautiful is recruiting volunteers to participate in the Great American Cleanup on Saturday. The countywide cleanup, which is part of the nationwide litter-collection effort, will begin at 8 a.m. at Westside Park in Gainesville.
“[Saturday] is an easy way for people to get involved and celebrate the impact we can make in Alachua County,” said Gina Hawkins, executive director of Keep Alachua County Beautiful.
Volunteers will be assigned to locations throughout the county and provided with supplies for removing litter, planting and removing graffiti at designated sites such as along Southwest Archer Road and West Newberry Road.
Last year, 657 people participated. Since then, new locations have been added to the list of cleanup sites based on requests from people wanting to clean their communities.
This year, more than 300 volunteers have already registered for the cleanup. The organization will continue accepting volunteers, even those who show up the day of.
Danielle Mortimer, a 22-year-old UF English senior, has participated in the cleanup on behalf of Alpha Phi Omega for the past two years. Now, as an intern for Keep Alachua County Beautiful, she plans to participate again this year.
“Litter is a huge problem in Alachua County,” she said. “It has a huge impact on our environment, and our environment has a huge impact on us.”
Although the Saturday cleanup coincides with Keep America Beautiful’s National Day of Action, the organization is accepting volunteers for ongoing litter removal and beautification projects until May 31.
“People should be excited to be part of something this big,” Hawkins said. “It builds community.”
