Across the nation, counties are joining the fight to keep America beautiful, with Newton County being no exception.

On March 23, Newton County volunteers and citizens participated in the Great American Cleanup.

The cleanup event hosted by Keep Newton Beautiful (KNB) focused on cleaning up various areas around Newton County. This year, the event brought out a total of 459 volunteers.

“We had an excellent turnout,” said Laurie Riley, manager of KNB.

Volunteers congregated at the Longhorn Steakhouse where they enjoyed a complimentary breakfast and awarded t-shirts. Once breakfast concluded, volunteers spread out across the county to beautify the land.

Some of the main areas that were cleaned up in the event were Moore St, Highway 36 near Alcovy High School, several landmarks in Oxford and the Newton Campus of Georgia State University, just to name a few.

The Newton County iteration of the Great American Cleanup is just one small part in a nationwide event.

According to Keep Liberty Beautiful, the Great American Cleanup is an annual event that started in 1999 by Keep America Beautiful – an organization that Keep Newton Beautiful is an affiliate of. Municipalities across the nation pick a day from early March to late May to contribute to the cleanup, with KNB choosing March 23.

Riley said that Newton County has participated in the initiative since “at least” 2004 when she became manager of Keep Newton Beautiful.

Riley mentioned that cleanups like this across the county are important for health concerns, economic development and aesthetics. 

“It’s an important awareness event, it makes people aware of the litter problem,” Riley said “,and hopefully the importance of keeping our community clean.”

More events are planned within the next few months for KNB, including district commissioner cleanup days as well as the upcoming Shred Day on April 22.