Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful is gearing up for their "Great Community Clean-up" this weekend. So far more than 700 people have signed up... But organizers say they still need more volunteers.
"We have such amazing volunteers that come out year-after-year to support this cleanup as well as other cleanups that KTMB is involved in,” said Program Manager, Jaime Souza. Large clean-ups like this have been organized by the group since 2006. There are two massive clean-ups done annually. One is during the fall season and the other is during the spring.
Crews this weekend will be assigned to 18 different clean-up sites where they will be picking up trash. From Yori Park to the outskirts of Cold Springs -- there's a lot to do from picking up trash, invasive weed removal and cleaning up graffiti.
"A lot of it is going to be tires and a lot of it is going to be big appliances and things like that,” said Communications Manager, J Merriman. To even the tiniest trash pieces like “cigarette butts, straw wrappers, cups. Things like that that just get blown out of people's trash cans," said Merriman.
Closed-toes shoes are something people should wear during the event in case anyone encounters glass or other sharp objects or weeds during the cleanup. Long sleeves and pants are also recommended along with bringing water, sunscreen, and a hat.
Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own clean-up supplies. "Hundreds of tools go out to our project sites but we really need everyone to bring a shovel, bring a bucket,” said Souza.
Groups will also be weeding and cleaning up graffiti. Even the National Guard will be helping by removing up to 17 abandoned vehicles with a helicopter. "We are just so excited because those cars, they leak a lot of chemicals into the groundwater as well,” said Merriman.
Cleaning up also goes beyond just making the community look better -- it also saves tens of thousands of dollars for communities that can't afford cleanups like this. "We do really jump in where the municipalities' budgets fall short,” said Merriman.
The clean-up starts this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
If you'd like to join the clean-up effort, volunteers can sign up here: http://ktmb.org/
