Sat 5/4 @ 9AM
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really tired of seeing trash everywhere you turn. It’s in parks, alongside streets, in gutters and on lawns and beaches. Apparently, no one realizes that their Wendy’s and McDonald’s wrappers should go in that trash can — that one right over there.
And, yes, there’s plenty of trash lining the banks of the Cuyahoga River, which of course means much of it ends up IN the river. And that’s what the annual RiverSweep event, now in its 34th year, is all about. Volunteers choose from a list of locations throughout Cuyahoga County, sign up, and then join with others to tackle the trash. Gloves, cleaning gear and a RiverSweep T-shirt are provided.
“Over the course of 34 years, 20 thousand volunteers have helped recycle 24,757 illegally discarded tires and pick up almost 1.5 million pounds of trash” they tell us. “The cleanup effort has helped communities reduce public dumping and encouraged the creation of parks and trails. More than 400 acres of new greenspace have been cleaned, conserved, and open to the public along with an additional 14 miles of trails.” If they say so … I saw about 50 dumped tires just today. Please someone, figure out what to do with all those tires! RiverSweep (and countywide cleanups) should probably happen every month.
Go here for a list of meet-up sites and sign up for one.