Clean-up and recycling day great opportunity to volunteer

16th annual spring cleanup expected to be fun and beneficial

Factoid:For more information about volunteering contact Kris Schacel at 549-4148 or e-mail [email protected]

“Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up.” It is a familiar song to many, and is fitting for the 16th Annual Spring Clean Up and Recycling Day on April 12 from 8a.m to 12:30p.m. at Turley Park.

Keep Carbondale Beautiful, a non-profit organization, with support from the Carbondale Park District and the City of Carbondale will sponsor the event and provide live entertainment and snacks for participants.

“This is a part of the Great American cleanup,” said Kris Schachel, the executive director of Keep Carbondale Beautiful. “It is to get people to realize that litter is a problem and hopefully get them to do something about it.”

Along with the promotion of keeping the city clean is an emphasis on recycling. In an effort to encourage recycling, a contest is being sponsored to see which individual or group can collect the most recyclables.

There will be four categories and within each, 1st, 2nd and 3rd will be awarded a prize. People wanting to enter the contest can enter individually, or in small, medium or large groups. Also, the first 250 people to sign in will receive a T-shirt made from recycled cotton.

“Collecting liter is important, but getting volunteers to help and make them feel like they made an important contribution to the neighborhood and their lives is more important,” Schachel said.

Last year, the day ended with more than 4,470 pounds of litter collected and 1,821 pounds of that was recyclable. This year it is hoped to top the previous numbers by cleaning the entire city of Carbondale.

For the end of the event, the band Clean Ray will perform for entertainment.

“Hopefully we can make this a fun event as well as something beneficial around town,” Schachel said.

Reporter Samantha Robinson can be reached at