Time to Clean Up

By Karey Burek

It is time to get ready for the 10th annual Great American Cleanup! This year, President George W. Bush is serving as the honorary chairman of the Great American Cleanup where volunteers get together to cleanup and care for their community.

The clean up will be Saturday April 26, beginning around the county at 8:30 a.m. The cleanup will last from 9 a.m. until around noon. Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt and refreshments while supplies last.

Close to 2,000 volunteers are expected to pick up litter at 18 sites throughout the county that will include neighborhoods, parks, waterways and coastlines. Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful is teaming up with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and will have one of their players at the Gandy Bridge Boat Ramp!

Last year, more than 800 volunteers came out and picked up 144,000 pounds of trash! Around the United States, in 2001 more than 2 million people volunteered for Keep America Beautiful 2002. More than eight million pounds of clothing were donated for reuse, more than 110 million pounds of litter collected, 65,000 miles of streets and highways were cleaned and 7,607 miles of shoreline was cleaned.

To volunteer or become a site captain, contact KHCB at 813-960-5121, or look online at www.khcbonline.org to download a registration form. Local sponsors in Hillsborough County include: AT&T, Cargill Inc., Mix 100.7, Publix, Sunbelt Newspapers Inc., Tampa Bay Parrot Head Club, The Tampa Tribune, TECO, Time Warner Cable and WQYK 99.5.