Jackson Free Press

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., and representatives from Keep Jackson Beautiful and Transformation Jackson kick off a campaign to beautify the city this morning. Great American Cleanup volunteers will meet tomorrow at Jackson State University to participate in day one of the three-month event.

"We are urging all the citizens of Jackson to participate in the Great American Cleanup in some way, whether through your church, your neighborhood association or with a group of friends between now and May 31," Johnson said in a statement. "With all of our combined effort, we can make a real impact upon the city of Jackson and improve the aesthetics, not only for ourselves, but for the thousands of visitors who come to their capital city every day."

The mayor's office says that neighborhood associations and other groups have organized cleanups for tomorrow, including the Westside neighborhood, Bon Air, Queen's/Flag Chapel, Midtown, the Raines Elementary community, High School Park neighborhood, members of Pinelake Church and others. Volunteers will join with city and Jackson Public Schools employees, parents, and JPS students for this cleanup effort. So far, more than 2,000 volunteers have signed up to assist with litter removal, light repairs and landscaping at Baker, Barr, Green, Isable, Key, Lester, Poindexter and Watkins elementary schools, Jim Hill High School, and other designated locations in what promises to be a productive day of picking up, pitching in and going green throughout the capital city.

The Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program, takes place annually from March 1 through May 31. The City of Jackson, Keep Jackson Beautiful, Waste Management of Mississippi, Transformation Jackson and the Jackson State University Center for University-Based Development facilitate the local effort by coordinating volunteers and supplying trash bags for neighborhood groups. Following each organized community cleanup, the City's Solid Waste Division will be responsible for the removal of debris collected during the event.

Jackson residents are encouraged to host their own neighborhood clean up during the months of March, April and May. Tomorrow's event begins at Jackson State University in the parking lot of the T.B. Ellis Complex on Dalton Street; volunteer registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and volunteers will work until noon.

For more information on the Great American Cleanup, contact Marsha Hobson, Executive Director for Keep Jackson Beautiful, at 601-366-4842 or the City of Jackson at 601-960-0000.