Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful (KCNB) needs volunteers to clean up roadside litter during the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest annual community improvement program. KCNB’s kickoff event will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Longhorn Steakhouse of Covington, rain or shine.

Mamie’s Kitchen Biscuits, Brown Bridge Road location, will provide biscuits for volunteers.  Longhorn Steakhouse will provide bottled water, and KCNB will provide t-shirts (for the first 600 registrants), gloves and garbage bags.

“The Great American Cleanup offers an opportunity to bring awareness to litter, stressing the need for prevention and working toward changing attitudes and behaviors.  KCNB conducts a litter index each year to assess amounts of litter along roadways across the county.  We encourage all Newton County residents to get involved in keeping our community clean and making a positive difference,” Laurie Riley, KCNB director, said.

More than 1,300 volunteers in Newton County participated in Great American Cleanup litter cleanup and educational programs last year and removed over 50,000 pounds of trash from alongside local roadways.

KCNB encourages individuals, families, civic clubs, and business, church, neighborhood, school and other groups to organize volunteers for projects at their individual sites and along local roads.  Suggested activities include litter pickup, painting and repairing houses and other buildings, planting flowers, starting recycling programs and holding litter-free events.

Groups can choose to clean up anywhere they like.  If they are undecided, KCNB has a list of suggested roads based on litter index results and requests for cleanups. These include Salem Road/Highway 162 and the 162 Connector; Highways 36, 81, 212 and 142; Brown Bridge Road; Jack Neely Road; Kirkland Road; Henderson Mill Road; and Covington Bypass Road.

KCNB visits schools, civic clubs and other groups with litter prevention programs.  Their most popular program, the Detective Seymore Green puppet show, is available March through May.  The organization’s goal is to inspire positive behavior change through acceptance of personal responsibility for a clean and beautiful community.  To schedule a puppet show performance or another environmental education program designed for your group, please email lriley@co.newton.ga.us.

Volunteers for the Great American Cleanup should print out forms from www.kcnb.biz and then scan or photo and email completed forms to lriley@co.newton.ga.us.

Registration is requested by March 17 to reserve t-shirts, which are offered free to the first 600 registrants.  Registration forms will not be available after March 17, but walk-up participants will be welcome at Longhorn on March 25.  Also, if volunteers are unavailable to work on Saturday, March 25, they may participate on another date of their choice.  If it rains on March 25, KCNB will still meet volunteers to give them supplies and breakfast at Longhorn, but volunteers can reschedule their cleanup projects for other days when the weather is more suitable.

After groups participate in the Great American Cleanup, KCNB encourages them to “Adopt-a-Mile”.  Groups that commit to clean up  four times per year along one mile of road or street get a sign--free advertising--erected recognizing their efforts.

For more information, visit KCNB’s website: www.kcnb.biz, send email to lriley@co.newton.ga.us or call 770-784-2015.