Florence cleanup returns full-scale Saturday

The first citywide cleanup since pre-pandemic 2020 is set for 8 a.m. to noon with groups meeting at the Florence/Lauderdale Coliseum to pick up supplies.

City spokeswoman Rachel Mansell said that although there have been other smaller scale cleanups, this is the first single-day, citywide effort that invites the public in general, along with businesses and city employees, to join in the effort.

So far, there are 305 people registered, not including city volunteers.

Groups may choose a particular area to clean up or be assigned an area.

Volunteers are invited to attend an early morning biscuit breakfast in the coliseum parking lot prior to the cleanup.

Supplies such as gloves, Litter Gitters, vests and trash bags will be supplied.

"This is a great cleanup time for spring with the additional benefit of camaraderie between people coming together for a great cause," Mansell said.

For those who can't attend the cleanup day, Mansell said they can select a date afterward and still get supplies from the city for their efforts.

"It's just such a visual statement to the public when the city is cleaned up, plus it promotes the message of not littering," Mansell said. 

Once the trash is picked up and bagged, it can be left off the roadway for city personnel to pick up. 

Cleanup materials can be left for city crews to pick up, or they may be brought back to the coliseum at the conclusion of the cleanup.

"It's an amazing sight to see the collection of all that trash in its totality," Mansell said. "The efforts on this cleanup could produce 5,000 to 11,000 pounds of trash."