ALTON - Pride, Inc. will host their biannual City-Wide Litter Cleanup to further their “Love Where You Live” initiative.
From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, community members are invited to pick up trash around Alton. Pat Stewart, executive director of Pride, Inc., explained that the organization aims to increase awareness about littering and encourage people to take pride in their community.
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“Litter continues to be a problem in this area. Anybody can drive up and down the streets and see what I’m talking about,” she said. “Our mission is to love where you live. It’s not just taking pride in your home, but in your community. So we’re getting people involved, and it’s always a great event.”
Stewart said there will be over 60 groups that participate, from sports teams to scouting troops. You can participate as part of a group or as an individual, and Pride, Inc. will direct you to a location that needs cleaned up. You can also pick up litter in your own neighborhood.
Starting two weeks before the litter cleanup, community members can pick up supplies at Great Rivers Tourism Center or the Pride, Inc. office in the Benjamin Godfrey mansion. The litter cleanup will take place rain or shine.
Participants can register starting at 8 a.m. on Sept. 14, either at the corner of 3rd and Belle Street or at Fast Eddie’s Chicken at 7th and Central Avenue. At 9 a.m., groups will depart from Taqueria Maya at 621 College Avenue and from Joe K’s Restaurant at 2530 State Street.
Stewart noted that while the cleanup drives awareness about littering and taking pride in the community, it also aims to educate young people about the importance of properly disposing of trash. She hopes to inspire young people to care about their homes and beautification.
“It’s also a means of educating our children,” she explained. “When you teach them at a young age the benefits of not littering — obviously, we like a clean community to live in. We want to drive growth and development within the city, and anybody that’s coming over here from St. Louis, let’s show them some clean streets and the clean neighborhoods that they can move into.”
As Pride, Inc. gears up for its Fall City-Wide Litter Clean-Up, Stewart hopes to see many organizations and community members come out to participate. She is excited for another successful clean-up and the chance to share the Pride, Inc. mission with the community.
“It warms the heart to see how many groups we have, over 60 different organizations that come together,” Stewart added. “It’s all about awareness and education…We’re proud to be part of this organization.”
For more information about Pride, Inc. and their City-Wide Litter Clean-Up, visit their official website at PrideIncorporated.org or their official Facebook page.
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