Volunteers enthusiastic about cleaning up
BELLA VISTA — On a frosty, freezing cold Friday morning of 22 degrees, Marci Downing prepares to gather her bags and buckets for the next day.
The winter weather isn’t deterring her from helping out her community. She predicts it won’t keep Bella Vista neighbors from cleaning up, either.
“It will be in the 30s when we start,” she said. “But we’re supposed to get up to the 50s!”
Downing, who started the Pick the Town Green effort with fellow Bella Vistans Tim Pschierer and Rebecca Fraley in March 2019, now serves as the main organizer.
Pschierer helps with cleanup efforts and heads up the Six In Sixty effort, set for March. Fraley is instrumental in securing business sponsorships.
The 2021-22 cleanup season runs from October through April. All the supplies are provided, and Lowe’s serves as a sponsor for the pickers, buckets, gloves and trash bags, Downing said.
Volunteers of all ages meet from 10-11:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Locations, dates and times are posted on social media.
Downing said the effort continues to grow, with families and children — as well as other volunteers — showing up.
Picking up trash is a great way to meet fellow neighbors, visit and work, while enjoying the beautiful Bella Vista outdoors, she said.
The community cleanup, now in its third year, has not waned. Volunteers show up with enthusiasm, no matter the weather, to help, she said.
“It’s amazing what you can do in an hour and a half,” Downing said. “With 15 people, you can fill 25 to 30 bags of trash.”
Downing enjoys witnessing the dedicated volunteers who continue to clean up. Groups of 15 to 18 people met for October, November and December gatherings.
“I want all the credit to go to the community,” she said. “It’s everybody who shows up that makes it happen.”
In the past, volunteers have focused on different areas of the city to rotate cleanups. In that way, all areas were covered.
This season, organizers are focusing on several sections of U.S. 71.
“We hope if we really clean up 71, it will stay nice over the summer,” Downing said.
With an ever-growing population, trash remains a constant issue. Volunteers who show pride in the community can definitely make an impact, she said.
“Litter is an ongoing problem,” Downing said. “It’s hard to drive by without cleaning it up. The city doesn’t have enough resources. We all contribute to it. In the end, we’re all responsible, and we have to be the solution.”
Anyone interested in participating or joining with a business sponsorship may contact Downing at 714865-5059 or send a message through Pick the Town Green on Facebook.