Trash clean up event needs volunteers

Tommy Mann, Jr.
The Orange Leader

ORANGE January 17, 2009 09:36 pm

— A yearly clean-up event takes on new meaning in 2009 more than ever.
The 14th annual Community Trash Off, formerly known as the Adams Bayou Trash Off, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 7 in Orange. The goal of the event, hosted by Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, is to remove litter and debris from areas of Orange.
The event began in 1995 as an effort to clean Adams Bayou, which has somehow always been a location for debris and household garbage to accumulate.
Over the years the event has expanded to include 36 streets in nearby portions of Orange, West Orange and Pinehurst covering large areas from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Simmons Drive and Western Avenue to Interstate 10.
“In 2008, we had approximately 250 to 300 people help out during our clean up event,” said Philip Grupe, an intern at Shangri La who is helping coordinate this year’s event. “Thanks to Hurricane Ike we have plenty of trash to pick up in these areas, and not just Adams Bayou.”
Grupe said more than 100,000 pounds of garbage and debris has been collected over the previous 13 years, including more than 5,000 pounds in 2008.
“We can collect as much trash as we have people,” Grupe added. “That’s the key. The more people we have, the more trash we can collect. The more people we have, the more visible we are.”
The program is open to volunteers from ages 12 to adults and will begin at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of Orange Lions Park. Those wishing to be team leaders should arrive by 7:30 a.m.
Teams, which typically consist of three to five people each, will spend the entire morning working together to clean up streets and portions of Adams Bayou. Volunteers may bring their own gloves, but donors will supply gloves for those without.
Those working along Adams Bayou, which serves as a gateway to many areas of Shangri La, may receive a disposable suit to help stay clean. Shangri La will provide trash grabbers and garbage bags for volunteers.
“Hopefully everyone recognizes how much we need help because of what Hurricane Ike did to this area,” Grupe continued. “We want everyone to participate so we can make our presence known all over Orange.”
Individuals are encouraged to arrive early and will be assigned to a group. T-shirts will be given to the first 300 participants, and approximately 100 prizes will be awarded based on numbered envelopes spread out along cleanup routes.
Anyone wishing to register a team or participate in the event may call 409-670-0803.

Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619