2019 Great American Cleanup Effort Launch

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Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful (KMVB), a six-county NYS affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful (KAB) program, is launching the 18th annual Great American Cleanup, scheduled for April 1 – May 31. KMVB is a standing committee of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc.

KAB works to create sustainable communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy, and economically sound and their annual Great American Cleanup 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. “We intend to have local volunteers in the six-County Mohawk Valley Region take action to work on beautifying and cleaning areas along the canal and other waterways, parks, recreation areas and streets,” said Sam Russo, Chair of the KMVB Board of Directors.

By registering your Great American Cleanup event on the ohswa.org website, you are eligible to receive free materials including gloves, trash bags, and other assistance.

William A. Rabbia, Executive Director of the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority and partner in the Cleanup Program, said “While KMVB along with other organizations plan volunteer events structured to clean up and beautify public areas, they also focus on inspiring generations of environmental stewards. KMVB is cleaning up, yes, but we are also changing behaviors by engaging the enthusiasm of involved young people,” said Rabbia.

KMVB is also offering a Litter Hotline so that residents can report areas with litter, debris or potential threats to public health. Residents can anonymously call the Litter Hotline at (315) 733-1224, option 4, and KMVB will notify the appropriate municipalities for action.

“From Boonville to Cobleskill, from Oneonta to Northville, and all along the Mohawk Valley,” said Russo, “volunteers will be working together to change their communities. “KMVB members, working together on projects like the Great American Cleanup, community gardens, recycling and beautification help leverage other public and private resources to positively impact our region,” said Russo.