Keep Newton Beautiful (KNB) needs volunteers to clean up roadside litter during the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest annual community improvement program. KNB’s kickoff event will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 23 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 KNB will provide t-shirts (for the first 500 registrants), gloves, and garbage bags. “Our local Great American Cleanup event strives to make everyone aware that littering is always unacceptable in Newton County. Keep Newton Beautiful’s educational programs teach that prevention is the best solution to the problem of litter. Cleaning up an area certainly helps deter future littering and dumping; but if no one litters in the first place, no one has to clean it up. Having cleanup volunteers working along roadsides brings greater awareness to the issue. We greatly appreciate their willingness to devote time to make a positive impact and improve our community,” said Laurie Riley, KNB Manager.

KNB 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, and holding litter-free events.

Groups can choose to clean up anywhere they like. If they are undecided, KNB has a list of suggested roads based on litter study 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. Groups with young children should not plan to clean up along these busy roads. Instead, they are advised to pick a section of trail, a park, or a cemetery for their cleanup sites.

KNB visits schools, civic clubs, and other groups with litter prevention programs. Their most popular program is the Detective Seymore Green puppet show. 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.keepnewtonbeautiful.org and then scan or photo and email completed forms to lriley@co.newton.ga.us.

Registration is requested by March 15 to reserve t-shirts, which are offered free to the first 500 registrants. Registration forms will not be available after March 15, but walk-up participants will be welcome at Longhorn on March 23. Also, if volunteers are unavailable to work on Saturday, March 23, they may participate on another date of their choice. If it rains on March 23, KNB 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, KNB encourages them to “Adopt-a-Mile”. Groups that commit to clean up 4 times per year along one mile of road or street get a sign--free advertising--erected recognizing their efforts.

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