‘Litter League’ aims to strike out trash from city

The Columbus “Litter League” is back and ready to strike out litter in city neighborhoods.

The effort, in which teams compete to pick up the most litter, is sponsored by Huntington Bank and the Columbus Clippers, and is managed by the community improvement program Keep Columbus Beautiful. Teams of up to 20 players each will compete in four divisions to pick up the most litter: corporate/business, nonprofit/faith-based, community groups and individuals.

This year’s season runs from June 1 to August 31. Scoring is as follows: one bag of litter collected equals one run scored, and teams scoring the most runs during the season will win their division.

The teams that collect the most trash get to play Wiffle ball at Huntington Park, home of the Clippers.

Last year, more than 77,000 pounds of litter were cleaned up by participating players, according to the city’s Department of Public Service.

“We look forward to another successful season that inspires each of us to do our part in solving this unhealthy and unsightly issue,” Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a prepared release.

Entrants can register online using Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/columbus-litter-leaguetickets-603969327517.

Throughout the season, the Clippers will host Litter League special events at designated home games.

“This is a great community program that does indeed make a difference. After all, the first image of any city is the cleanliness and neatness a visitor sees upon their arrival,” said Ken Schnacke, Clippers president and general manager.