COVINGTON, Ga. — Keep Newton Beautiful (KNB) needs volunteers to clean up roadside litter during the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest annual community improvement program. KNB’s kickoff event will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, at Longhorn Steakhouse of Covington, rain or shine.
Mamie’s Kitchen Biscuits, Brown Bridge Road location, will provide biscuits for volunteers. Longhorn Steakhouse will provide bottled water, and KNB will provide t-shirts (for the first 200 registrants), gloves, and garbage bags.
“The Great American Cleanup offers an opportunity to bring awareness to litter, stressing the need for prevention and working toward changing attitudes and behaviors. We encourage all Newton County residents to get involved in keeping our community clean and making a positive difference,” said Laurie Riley, KNB Manager.
KNB encourages individuals, families, civic clubs, and business, church, neighborhood, school, and other groups to organize volunteers for projects at their individual sites and along local roads. Suggested activities include litter pickup, painting and repairing houses and other buildings, planting flowers, and holding litter-free events.
Groups can choose to clean up anywhere they like. If they are undecided, KNB has a list of suggested roads based on litter study results and requests for cleanups. These include Salem Road/Highway 162 and the 162 Connector; Highways 36, 81, 212, and 142; Brown Bridge Road; Jack Neely Road; Kirkland Road; Henderson Mill Road; and Covington Bypass Road.
KNB visits schools, civic clubs, and other groups with litter prevention programs. Their most popular program is the Detective Seymore Green puppet show. The organization’s goal is to inspire positive behavior change through acceptance of personal responsibility for a clean and beautiful community. To schedule a puppet show performance or another environmental education program designed for your group, please email lriley@co.newton.ga.us.
Volunteers for the Great American Cleanup should print out forms from www.keepnewtonbeautiful.org and then scan or photo and email completed forms to lriley@co.newton.ga.us.
Registration is requested by March 18 to reserve t-shirts, which are offered free to the first 200 registrants. Registration forms will not be available after March 18, but walk-up participants will be welcome at Longhorn on March 26. Also, if volunteers are unavailable to work on Saturday, March 26, they may participate on another date of their choice. If it rains on March 26, KNB will still meet volunteers to give them supplies and breakfast at Longhorn, but volunteers can reschedule their cleanup projects for other days when the weather is more suitable.
After groups participate in the Great American Cleanup, KNB encourages them to “Adopt-a-Mile”. Groups that commit to clean up 4 times per year along one mile of road or street get a sign--free advertising--erected recognizing their efforts.
For more information, visit KNB’s website: www.keepnewtonbeautiful.org, send email to lriley@co.newton.ga.us, or call 770-784-2015.
