A group of dedicated volunteers is getting ready to do a lot of spring cleaning.
The Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Spring Clean Up drive April 16-20.
"We strive to keep our community clean," said Claudine Brown, one of the co-chairmen of the campaign. "I'm picking up every day. It's an ongoing effort. This is a time when we're asking people to put forth a concerted effort."
Joining Brown briefly on Monday at chamber headquarters to announce the cleanup were Marion Howard, Itta Bena Mayor Thelma Collins and Carolyn McAdams. The three are serving as co-chairs for the event.
Howard, who also is chairman of the chamber's Community Pride Committee, said volunteers will make the difference all over the county. "We've got the west, the east and all in between," she said.
The drive is part of the national Keep America Beautiful program. This year, volunteers will be asked to keep track of how many bags of trash they collect. This is being done nationally to help develop more accurate records of participation.
Trash bags and gloves are available at the chamber.
Collins said residents of Itta Bena have participated in the cleanups for a number of years, and she hopes more young people will get involved.
"Hopefully this year, we can have a contest in the elementary grades one through six. The grades that pick up the most trash, the most garbage bags, they will receive a special treat," she said.
Collins said she also hopes to enlist the aid of Leflore County High School students in cleanup projects around town.
There are other efforts the public should be aware of, she said.
For example, old tires may be dropped off for recycling at a semi-trailer parked behind the Itta Bena Police Department at no charge. This reduces blight and addresses the problem of tires thrown out along ditches and waterways.
McAdams said the Mississippi Department of Transportation is trying to reach youngsters in the Leflore County schools with an anti-littering message beginning as early as the second grade. The belief is, if youngsters can see areas beautified, they will be less likely to litter, she said.
McAdams said the chamber has been in the forefront of the beautification of Greenwood for the past 20 years.
Businesses have quietly participated in the past, but she hopes this year that they will contact the chamber to make them aware of which parts of town they intend to work on.
This will eliminate duplication and also provide statistics on how many bags were collected, she said.
Howard said the effort goes on all year.
"Anytime people want to pick up trash, we're not going to discourage them," she said.
For more information, look up Keep America Beautiful at www.KAB.org.
