Great Indy Cleanup Kickoff--April 17

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Linda Broadfoot
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
317.223.5181
lbroadfoot@kibi.org

Kickoff the 34th Annual Great Indy Cleanup on Saturday

INDIANAPOLIS – On Saturday, April 17, 2010, Mayor Greg Ballard, along with volunteers from over 90 different neighborhood organizations, will gather to pick up litter, clean alleys, and plant trees to kickoff the 34th Annual Great Indy Cleanup.

The Great Indy Cleanup, a program of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) in partnership with the City of Indianapolis, and with the support of South Side Landfill, Covanta Energy, and Republic Services, aims to relieve streets, walkways and alleys of the obtrusive eyesores and hazards left behind by litter and illegal dumping. The Department of Public Works will assist neighborhoods in cleanup efforts, providing crews with trash trucks and dumpsters to help manage litter. Disposal of all collected trash on this day will be generously donated by Southside Landfill and Covanta Energy.

Schedule
8:30am: Mayor will kick off event at Peddler’s Mall Parking Lot at 38th & High School. Boy Scouts and community volunteers will be painting a flag mural, doing creek cleanup and much more in the area until noon.

10:30am-11:30am: Mayor will visit cleanup efforts and tree planting in Martindale Brightwood. (17th & Roosevelt) Volunteers from Cincinnati Bell will help to plant over 50 trees in the neighborhood.

12:30pm: Wrap-Up Celebration will be at Post Road Christian Church at 1112 N. Post Road in Warren Township. Mayor will be in attendance.

KIB coordinates the event and will provide participants with gloves, garbage bags, banners and donated Coca-Cola products. Last year, KIB volunteers picked up nearly 3 million pounds of trash April-October, enough to stack 5 stories tall on the Lucas Oil field.

Individuals who do not belong to neighborhood associations are invited to participate in the April 17 citywide cleanup as well, through KIB’s Every Litter Bit Helps campaign. All they need to do is head to any Marion County Public Library, YMCA, or National City Bank to pick up a bag and pair of gloves to help out with the effort.
Saturday’s kickoff event launches the Great Indy Cleanup program that runs through October 31. Neighborhoods can schedule a community cleanup as a part of the Great Indy Cleanup any weekend after April 17 through the end of October by visiting www.kibi.org.

The Great Indy Cleanup is part of the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program, sponsored by Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

About Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.:

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest community improvement network. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. unites people to build community and transform public spaces through aesthetic and environmental improvement. To learn more, visit www.kibi.org

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