100,000 pounds of trash. Can you picture it? Plastic bottles, paper plates, fast food containers, old food, tires – the list goes on. Do you see it? Imagine it piled up on the side of the road, in your backyard, in the parking lot at the grocery store, along the banks of Adams Bayou. 100,000 pounds.
If you’re having trouble imagining all this litter, that may be due to the fact that the volunteers behind the annual Adams Bayou Trash-Off have managed to keep you from seeing it. In the last 12 years, these volunteers have removed more than 100,000 pounds of trash through this annual program. On Saturday, February 2 that number will increase as the next installment of the Adams Bayou Trash-Off aims to remove litter from 36 streets representing Orange, Pinehurst, and West Orange.
The program, sponsored by Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, allows you a chance to get involved in keeping your community clean and beautiful. With the campaign to help Orange grow, keeping the city clean is more important than ever. Many tourists will begin visiting Orange with the opening of Shangri La in March, and the Trash-Off will help ensure they think Orange is as beautiful as we do.
The program begins at 8 AM at Orange Lions Park on Main Street. The first 300 people will receive a free T-shirt, and pizza will be served at noon. Volunteers are welcome to bring their own supplies, but the Shangri La team will also provide gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and white Tyvek disposable suits. If you want to volunteer, all you have to do is show up. Just keep in mind the program is limited to those ages 12 and older.
For those of you thinking that picking up litter sounds like all work and no play, think again. You can volunteer to be a team leader and choose a group of four to five friends, co-workers, family members, or neighbors to work with throughout the day, ensuring you’ll have a great time and make plenty of memories. To volunteer to be a team leader, call 409.670.9113.
Need another reason to go? I’ve got one: free stuff! The Shangri La team will hide envelopes throughout the Trash-Off area. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you can turn it in to the Shangri La team that day for a great prize, such as a free meal or a T-shirt. More than 40 local businesses have donated gifts for the Trash-Off. There are 100 total envelopes, so you’ve got a good chance of finding one!
If you’ve been looking for a way to play a part in the campaign to help Orange grow, this is definitely a great opportunity. There is no denying the city is beautiful on the inside, with its cultural offerings and friendly people. Now you have a chance to make sure the city is just as beautiful on the outside as well.
This message was also printed in the January 30, 2008 issue of The Orange Leader by guest columnist Nikki Sumrow. You can read a new column each Wednesday in The Orange Leader discussing the latest Orange events and activities. If you would like to suggest a topic for a future column, please contact me at nikki.sumrow@imaginuity.com.
