It’s April! Time for the Great American Cleanup! Join Keep Pickens Beautiful for some of their projects and programs throughout the month.
The Great American Cleanup is a national program sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. This is the nation’s largest community improvement program with an estimated 15,000 community events nationwide. Now in its 24th year, the Great American Cleanup (GAC), as stated by Keep America beautiful, “prompts individuals to take greater responsibility for their local environments by conducting grassroots community service projects that engage volunteers, local businesses, and civic leaders.”
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
This past Saturday, April 30, was the final GAC 2022 eveKeep America Beautiful’s national results from the 2021 Great American Cleanup show the impact of the program, even with reduced in-person activities due to the pandemic:
- Number of Events: 9,977
- Number of Volunteers and Participants: 259,021
- Total Benefit to Communities: $51,277,013
- Total Number of Volunteer Hours: 1,448,655
- Pounds of Litter and Debris Collected: 14,649,481
- Pounds of Items Recycled: 8,232,158
- Acres of Parks, Public Lands, Playgrounds, and Trails Cleaned & Improved: 66,744
- Miles of Streets, Roads, and Highways Cleaned, Improved or Beautified: 23,456
- Number of Plants, Shrubs, Flowers, and Bulbs Planted: 127,856 Number of Trees Planted: 3,677
KPB has a BIG Schedule Planned for April
After two yearFor the past two years, Keep Pickens Beautiful has not sponsored in-person projects due to Covid, so this year they’re making up for lost time with events scheduled every Saturday in April. Join them to help improve Pickens County while connecting with your community, having fun, and meeting new friends.
- April 2 – Edible Jasper Spring Begins 2022! – cleanup and planting in the Edible Jasper gardens in downtown Jasper
- April 9 – Let’s Clean Up Pickens! Part 1 – Carver Mill Road – help clean up one of the messiest roads on the west side of Pickens
- April 16 – Edible Jasper Spring is Springing! – a BIG planting day in the Edible Jasper gardens in downtown with more than 400 plants that are ready to go in the ground
- April 23 – Earth Day on Main Community Appreciation Day – join the KPB Team at their office at the south end of Main Street for plant give-aways, live music, snacks, raffles, and more!
- April 30 – Let’s Clean Up Pickens! Part 2 – Camp Road on the east side of the county will get a much-needed cleanup
Keep Pickens In addition to the projects and programs sponsoreWatch the KPB website and Facebook group for more updates on the events and activities sponsored throughout the month of April.
Tire Amnesty
In addition to these volunteer opportunities to connect with your community while helping to improve and beautify it, there are other ways to be a part of the Great American Cleanup. One of the most popular is the tire amnesty. Pickens County residents can take up to 4 tires (off rim) to the central Pickens County Recycling Center for free throughout the month.
Join KPB for the Great American Cleanup
Join Keep Pickens Beautiful and their Team to help improve the community. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your neighbors while making a positive impact. You’ll have fun, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you were a contributor to the national Great American Cleanup initiative.
Contact KPB at KeepPickensBeautiful.org or stop by their office at the south end of Main Street Monday – Friday, 11:00-3:00.