Volunteers spread mulch and planted flowers on Scott Boulevard during a previous Great American Cleanup event. (Photo from Keep Covington Beautiful)

Volunteers needed for 1st of 2 Great American Cleanup days

COVINGTON, Ky. – If you’re a fan of fresh air, physical exercise, community spirit, and contributing to the “public good,” Saturday’s your opportunity to combine all four.

Volunteers will descend on parks, medians, pocket gardens, and other public spots around Covington to pick up trash, plant flowers, spread mulch, pull weeds, and generally spruce up The Cov.

It’s the first of two Great American Cleanup events, with the second being Oct. 22.

To participate, just show up at one of the sites listed below … or do your own thing by quietly beautifying a spot near where you live or work.

“Every year, we’re amazed at people’s energy, and what they get done in just a short period of time,” said Shannon Ratterman, of Keep Covington Beautiful (KCB) and The Center for Great Neighborhoods, the non-profits organizing the event.

Eight neighborhoods registered their beautification events with KCB. All events happen from 9 a.m.-noon.

• Mutter Gottes neighborhood (meet at 6th & Craig): Trash pickup, brush removal, flower planting.
• Randolph Park (226 E. Eighth St.): Working on the urban orchard.
• MainStrasse Village (meet at the Sixth Street promenade): Clean up the promenade, work on Goebel Park.
• Peaselburg neighborhood (meet at Glenn O. Swing Elementary at 501 W. 19th St.): Trash pickup, garden maintenance, flower planting.
• Barb Cook Park (Ashland Avenue and Madison Pike in Latonia): Trash pickup.
• Latonia Elementary School (3901 Huntington Ave.): Weeding, clean up the school vegetable garden.
• Austinburg neighborhood (meet at 15th & Maryland): Maintenance work at the neighborhood pocket gardens.
• Westside neighborhood (meet at 317 W. Robbins St.): Neighborhood cleanup.

Three other sites will participate in the Great American Cleanup, but they’re not accepting outside volunteers: City Heights housing complex, Covington Community Montessori, and Covington Classical Academy.

To register as a volunteer (it’s helpful to organizers but not mandatory), visit VOLUNTEER SIGNUP.

Thanks to support from the City of Covington’s Solid Waste & Recycling Division, KCB will provide trash bags, gloves, grabbers and other tools, hand sanitizer and disinfectants, snacks, and a giveaway for each volunteer.

Rumpke Trash & Recycling will pick up any filled trash bags.

$4,000 prize

Whichever neighborhood picks up the most trash will be the recipient of KCB’s Perk Up the Neighborhood event.

The organization is committing at least $4,000 – plus time, tools, and volunteers – toward beautifying one neighborhood in 2022. KCB will work with the winning neighborhood on how to use the investment, with examples being tree plantings, flower pots, public art, and neighborhood banners.

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Have questions? Contact Shannon Ratterman at shannon@greatneighborhoods.org or (859) 866-7524.

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