By HEATHER WALTERS and VICKI BROWN
Keep Walterboro Beautiful is helping the Keep America Beautiful campaign celebrate its 23rd year by participating in a May 22 litter cleanup event. This Saturday's event will focus on cleaning the community from Bells Highway to Wichman Street.
Keep Walterboro Beautiful Chairman Dana Cheney said he is devoted to cleaning up the area and hopes that more people, clubs, and organizations will be willing to participate and help pick up trash. Colleton County Sheriff Buddy Hill is also supporting the anti-litter effort by having his law enforcement agency join in this Saturday's event, which is being called the "Love Where You Live' campaign.
"Littering isn't just illegal. It negatively affects our environment and potential to attract future business, industries, and tourism," said Hill.
Hill is also asking the entire Colleton community to get involved in the anti-litter efforts in Colleton County.
"Although most residents love the thought of a litter-free Colleton, some make the job of keeping Colleton clean and green even more difficult," he said. "It's the obligation of all people to protect and maintain public spaces and roadsides by disposing of trash in the appropriate area.
"By working together, we're showing our pride in our community and beautifying the area in hopes of inspiring our fellow neighbors to do the same," he said. "Please help us make a difference. Your involvement matters."
Anyone interested in being a part of the Keep Colleton Beautiful anti-litter efforts happening this weekend can join the "Love Where You Live" cleanup initiative by volunteering to clean up litter. The Colleton County Sheriff's Office will have a tent set up at the corner of Keegan and Burlington Streets, where volunteers can get vests and gloves. There are also a limited amount of trash-grabbers available for volunteers, according to sheriff's office Spokeswoman Shalane Lowes. Additionally, the Keep Walterboro Beautiful organization will have a tent set up for volunteers at the former Forest Circle Middle School, located near downtown Walterboro.
Colleton residents wanting to clean up the community can also participate in future litter cleanup events by following the Colleton County Sheriff's Office on the Nextdoor social media platform and on Twitter.
Future Keep Walterboro Beautiful cleanup dates are from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at the following locations:
Jun. 19 on Rivers Street; Jul. 10 on Robertson Blvd. from Wichman Street to Lemacks Street; and Aug. 7 on North Lemacks St.
If you or your organization would like to participate in cleaning up the city, contact Dana Cheney at cleancitywalterboro@gmail.com.
The Great American Cleanup began as a litter cleanup initiative designed to improve the environment by creating cleaner parks, streets, and public spaces by picking up trash. To this day, community cleanups remain at the very heart of the campaign, and the results are remarkable. In 2019 alone, over 40 million pounds of litter and recyclables were collected by volunteers throughout the country.
