By Ilene Manahan
Who can resist an invitation to a birthday party? Morristown Clean Communities is inviting all members of the community to celebrate its 25th year of sprucing up the town by participating in the 25th annual Town Wide Spring Clean-up on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
Following two hours of clean-up detail, volunteers will be treated to an anniversary picnic featuring entertainment, awards and prizes to mark the occasion.
Volunteers will meet at the town hall rear parking lot, 200 South St., at 9 a.m. to register and receive their work assignments.
They should dress for work detail and, if possible, bring their own work gloves, rakes, shovels and brooms. Bags for garbage and recycling and will be provided.
Work assignments will be completed before the festivities begin at 11:30 am.
“We’ve come a long way since our first Clean-Up in 1990,” reports Kathleen O’Neill Margiotta, chairperson of Morristown Clean Communities, the event’s organizer.
“The first year yielded seven tons of trash, two tons of recyclables and one ton of tires. Last year, the volunteers collected two tons of garbage and less than a ton of recyclables. We certainly are moving in the right direction to meet our goal of a clean and totally litter-free Morristown.”
This event also has attracted increased participation over the past 25 years, with families, individuals, church, civic and school groups making the Clean-Up an annual tradition, as they comb their neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds, monuments and other familiar and much loved town locations to collect and dispose of trash that has accumulated over the winter.
Many of these groups request specific areas they would like to target and have come up with additional projects to help beautify the town and make it even more inviting.
“Morristonians have always taken pride in their community – and one way they demonstrate that pride is by volunteering just a few hours each spring to help collect and dispose of trash that accumulated over the winter in our green spaces and brush and along the sidewalks and streets,” says Margiotta.
She adds that many people want to volunteer their time to benefit the community, but don’t quite know how.
“Our Earth Day-related clean-up offers opportunities for everyone, no matter what their age or energy level. No special skills are required. This also is a great way for new residents of Morristown to get involved in and learn more about their new home. We’ll especially enjoy having them participate this year in the Clean-Up and the 25th anniversary celebration of our success to date.”
For further information, to offer a project idea or request a specific work site, call Margiotta at 973-644-4363, or e-mail her. Advanced registration is not required. The “heavy rain date” is Sunday, April 26.
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