Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful (KMVB), a six-county NYS affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful (KAB) program, is preparing for its 23rd annual Great American Cleanup. KMVB is a standing committee of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. (MVEDD).

KAB works to create sustainable communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound. Their annual cleanup effort is the country’s largest community improvement program. Each Spring, KAB affiliates, like KMVB, engage more than 4 million volunteers in more than
20,000 communities nationwide.

Litter is not simply unpleasant to look at; there are environmental and economic costs to litter that negatively impact local wildlife, public drainage systems, road safety and property values. The cleanup and beautification efforts of KMVB have far reaching positive impacts on the environment, our communities, and even the mental well being of our residents.

Last year, over 3,000 volunteers across the Mohawk Valley collectively removed 2,400 bags of litter from parks, roadways, and waterways. There was also an active community garden in each of the six counties.

As Spring rolls in, KMVB is calling on local businesses, residents, and local leaders to register a team to pick up litter and beautify our parks, neighborhoods, and waterways to surpass last year’s impressive cleanup results. The KMVB cleanup is centered around Earth Day (April 22nd), but groups are encouraged to schedule their cleanup whenever it is convenient between April and July.

There will be four kick-off events for the Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful 2024 clean up efforts. These events will feature local leaders and politicians, and will summarize the benefits and logistics of the clean up efforts in the region. Registered teams will also be able to pick up supplies (trash bags, gloves) for their planned litter clean ups at these events.

There are three kick-off events scheduled for:

April 15th: 10:00am at Fulton Montgomery Community College in the Allen House (Johnstown,
NY)

April 16th: 10:00am at Utica City Hall (Utica, NY)

April 19th: 11:00am at SUNY Cobleskill, Bouck Hall (Cobleskill, NY)

Additionally, Rome Clean & Green will be hosting a press conference on April 10th at 10:00am at Rome City Hall. Supplies for litter cleanup groups will also be available at this event.

KMVB volunteers, interested community members, local leaders and media/news outlets are welcome to join us at these events.

Registering your clean up allows KMVB to report the impact of our region’s efforts to the KAB national office. When you register, the KMVB team will coordinate your cleanup efforts and provide you with supplies, such as trash bags and gloves. To register your team visit www.mvedd.org/kmvb

KMVB is currently supported by the Bank of Utica, Standard Heating Cooling and Insulating Co., and M&T Bank, and has received generous in-kind sponsorships from Northern Safety and the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI). These sponsors, along with the longstanding support of Positively Rome, the City of Utica, the CNY Conservancy, the Utica Rotary, the Genesis Group,
Business Machines and Equipment (BME), the Oneida Herkimer Solid Waste Authority, as well as the Otsego, Schoharie, Herkimer and Fulton-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce offices, are crucial to the success of this clean up effort.

This year, KMVB is welcoming a new organization to our volunteer-led board, Utica Creative Reuse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting creativity, community and environmental stewardship in CNY through the creative reuse of reclaimed materials and low-barrier access to arts education and programming. Visit their website for more information at www.uticacreativereuse.org.

While you’re cleaning up litter for Earth Day this year, consider joining the Trash to Treasure Art Challenge* and create a work of art incorporating trash and found objects! Register to participate in the Trash to Treasure Art Challenge, submit a project, and learn more at www.trash-to-treasure.com

Sponsorship support is needed to make an impact throughout the region. KMVB is calling for interested local organizations to sponsor this year’s cleanup event through in kind donations or financial support. Please visit our website to learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to register your cleanup.

For more information, or to report a site that needs to be cleaned or rehabilitated, email us at info@mvedd.org. You may also follow KMVB on Facebook (Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful – KMVB) for additional information. To donate funding or materials, register your team, or access our sponsorship package, visit www.mvedd.org/kmvb call (315) 866-4671
*Trash to Treasure is made possible through the CNY Arts Grants for Regional Arts and Cultural Engagement regrant program thanks to a New York State Senate
Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature, the Office of the Governor and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.

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