‘Looking to make a difference’
Volunteers for the annual River Sweep imagine they could construct a house, furnish it and build a car with the amount of junk they’ve pulled out of area streams over the past two decades.
But the work is worth it when they remove garbage, tires, building materials and even refrigerators from the streams in an effort to beautify tributaries that lead to the Ohio River.
Volunteers across Pennsylvania grabbed 65 tons of garbage from state waterways last year and are gearing up again to target 20 streams in Western Pennsylvania for the 23rd Annual River Sweep June 15. The group is now looking for volunteers to help them clean Millers Run in Cecil Township between the park and post office.
Dawn Fuchs, the president and CEO of Weavertown Environmental Group and coordinator for Washington County River Sweep, said the annual event has been immensely successful over the years.
“This event is in line with our corporate mission to give back to the communities in which we work, play and live,” Fuchs said. “This event helps us to clean up tributaries that ultimately lead to the Ohio River, so that all of us can enjoy our waterways for recreation.”
The group targeted the same area last year and wants to build on that progress. Michele Milligan, who has volunteered the past five years, said she often notices that the community takes on responsibility for future cleanups, allowing River Sweep to move on to new areas.
“The sites we’ve done have become so clean because people keep coming back,” Milligan said. “It’s self-sustaining. Once you get involved, then a lot of local people want to take it on.”
Pennsylvania River Sweep coordinator Betsy Mallison said this is a great chance for people living in Washington County to “rally around” Millers Run to improve that stream and area.
“We’re looking to make a difference. If people from Washington County can rally around here for the cleanup, that would be great,” Mallison said. “There’s plenty of room for volunteers. We’d love to see more people.”
Volunteers plan to meet at Cecil Park and work on the stream from 8 a.m. to noon. Everyone will be provided shirts, gloves, trash bags, refreshments and snacks. Cecil Township Parks and Recreation Board also is participating and plans to grill hamburgers and hot dogs for volunteers.
People who want to help can contact Fuchs at 724-746-4850 or dfuchs@weavertown.com so the group will know how many are volunteering for the event.
Fuchs said all ages are invited and the cleanup could make for a nice family outing on Fathers Day weekend.
“It’s great to get your family involved,” Fuchs said. “It’s a great family event.”