City Announces Roadside Community Wide Clean Ups

SUMTER, SC (MARCH 17, 2021) – Make plans now to join thousands of volunteers of all ages across America who will be taking part in the efforts to clean up and improve their local communities in the Great American Clean Up. Starting April 17, the City of Sumter, in partnership with the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, will host Community Clean Up Days every two months, and they are asking for the community’s help and support.

“We are kicking off Earth Day early this year, by announcing clean-up dates to the public so our community can demonstrate their individual responsibility and help make Sumter a safe, more enjoyable place to live, work, learn, and play,” stated Glenn Button, City of Sumter Litter Control Officer. “We are asking businesses and organizations to join us all across the City and County, by establishing a clean-up team and having their Team Leader coordinate with my office.”

The prescheduled dates for Community Clean-Up Days in 2021 include:

  • Saturday, April 17
  • Saturday, June 19
  • Saturday, August 14
  • Saturday, October 16
  • Saturday, December 18

Any business or organization who wants to help should designate a team leader and have that leader contact the City’s Litter Prevention Office. The City will coordinate with each team leader on clean-up locations and the Chamber’s office on Calhoun Street will serve as the pick-up location for teams to access gloves, trash bags, safety vests and trash grabbers for use during their clean-up.

“These clean-up areas will be set up all across our community, in both the city and county” stated Button. “This will allow organizations and individuals to choose areas that are more convenient to them.”

Clean-up locations will move around the community where need arises. All volunteers are asked to wear bright colored clothing and gloves and report filled bag locations to Button on each date. The City will then coordinate bag disposal from all scheduled clean-up sites.

“Clean-ups are just one aspect of our program that we invite the community to participate in,” stated David Merchant, City of Sumter Mayor. “We are working with the courts on enforcement, schools with education, businesses, organizations, churches and more to help alleviate litter – it’s going to take the assistance of the whole community to fix the problem.”

Details on each clean-up location will be announced on the City’s website as the scheduled day gets closer. If you are not part of any business or organization team in Sumter but still want to help, you can volunteer by signing up through the City’s Litter Prevention website at www.sumtersc.gov/litter or by calling 803-305-5266.

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