Setting a great example
On Tuesday evening, 35 local kids used their time and energy to make their community a little bit brighter.
Boys and girls of Pack 113 with the Boy Scouts of America were cleaning up the streets and drains near North 5th Avenue and West 3rd Avenue. The cleanupwas part of an Adopt- A- Mile program in partnership with Keep Rome Floyd Beautiful.
Pack leader Eric Vaughn said they adopted a couple of the streets around Trinity United Methodist Church — specifically North 5th Avenue, West 3rd Street and Avenue A.
By adopting those streets, the pack agreed to do periodic cleanups and that’s just what they were doing Tuesday evening.
“We picked up litter along the storm drains and we also applied markers along the storm drains that remind people not to dump trash there,” Vaughn said.
He said although the pack members are young, they recognize the importance of not littering and he reminded them that one of the 12 Points of Scout Law is cleanliness — that you should keep your body and mind fit and keep your home and community clean.
Vaughn said the pack committed to do three cleanups annually and this is their second.
“We do other service projects as well,” he added. “In August the kids worked with East Central Elementary to repaint their playground equipment and spread pine straw for them.”
This coming week the pack will be building more than 50 birdhouses to distribute to various organizations across the community including Lock & Dam Park, local parks as well as nursing homes.
“I’m really proud of the kids,” he said. “They take great pride in keeping our community clean and in helping any way they can.”
Emma Wells with Keep Rome Floyd Beautiful was on hand for Tuesday evening’s cleanup. She said KRFB asks program participants ( who adopt a mile) to do three to four cleanups each year. KRFB provides supplies such as gloves, bags and vests and makes sure that trash collected by program participants is picked up and disposed of properly.
“The kids had so much fun,” she said. “And they did a great job installing the markers reminding people that all of our storm drains go to our rivers. That’s an important reminder.”
Wells said she’s glad that kids are being taught at an early age to have a sense of pride in the community’s cleanliness.
“It was cool of the scout leader Eric to remind them that part of their pledge as a scout is to keep their community clean,” she said. “They knew that it’s important to take care of what’s around you because that shows you care for your community, the people around you and the animals around you.”
Any group or organization, including sports groups and church groups, who’d like to participate in the Adopt- A- Mile program can email Wells at ewells@ romega. us for an application. There is a $ 250 fee but Wells said if that’s a problem for some groups, KRFB will work with them. The program can even be a onetime cleanup instead of an extended adoption.