Volunteers sought for Tarentum cleanup day

Tarentum Councilwoman Carrie Fox is hoping to see at least 500 pounds of trash piled up in the borough on Saturday, April 23.

That’s the day when volunteers can participate in the Great American Cleanup, a national effort to spruce up streets, parks and public spaces.

“Everyone deserves a clean neighborhood,” said Fox, who also serves as president of the borough’s recreation board.

The borough’s event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Anyone interested in rolling up their sleeves can meet at 9:45 a.m. at the amphitheater at Riverview Memorial Park.

This is the borough’s third year supporting the wider effort through which people can remove debris from local waterways, plant flowers, clean up nature trails or playgrounds, and collect items to be recycled.

Across the nation, more than 500,000 volunteers work simultaneously to collect candy wrappers, pop cans, tires and other trash that creates eyesores.

In 2019, the Great American Cleanup rid more than 40 million pounds of litter in 15,000 communities.

“Every bit of litter that is collected makes an impact,” Fox said.

The borough typically sees more than two dozen people turn out to work. Volunteers have collected as much as 500 pounds of trash, she said.

No registration is required. Gloves, garbage bags and vests are provided.

Manager Michael Nestico said he hopes to see a good turnout because the cleanup was gathering a lot of momentum before the covid pandemic put it on hold in 2020.

The Tarentum Action Committee previously spearheaded a similar event where people performed cleanups and light rehab for senior citizens, and in 2019 joined with the recreation committee to produce an impressive turnout, Nestico said.

“There were pretty many people who came, and they split up to cover cleanups in three different parts of town,” he said. “It would be nice if that keeps going.”

Fox called the event a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages. Families or church groups can work together, she said.

“We make a positive change when people work together,” Fox said. “The families that come out teach their children a lifelong lesson.”