Over the Christmas season, Dresden shone bright; and as we head towards Earth Day, the hope is Dresden will have a clean sweep.
Operation Clean Sweep is in its infant stages in the North Kent community. Liz Kominek, head of the Dresden and District Horticultural Society, said the idea, which is to give the entire community a good spring cleaning during Earth Week from April 18-24, evolved in the wake of the success of Dresden Shines.
“Dresden had a group last Christmas. We did something for the community that we thought would light up everyone’s life during the pandemic,” she said, as volunteers helped string lights in businesses and public buildings, as well as in private homes to spread the holiday cheer. “This is our spring edition.”
The goal is to build on the momentum from the Dresden Shines event.
“We engaged the community and had lots of volunteers who stepped up,” Kominek said. “We’re hoping to engage them in helping to clean up the town. Dresden shines when everyone helps. We want to keep the community looking good. After the winter and snow is gone, there is a lot of litter.”
Kominek is part of a growing group. Lynda Weese, Dresden and District Horticultural Society Secretary and long-time organizer of Dresden pitch-in and cleanups is also asking the entire community to step up.
“Operation Clean Sweep will focus on engaging community volunteers to clean up parks, public spaces, sidewalks and our rural roadways. We have mapped the public spaces and will ask community members to take on cleanup responsibility for various areas,” Weese said in a media release.
Kominek said the organizers will encourage everyone, from school-aged kids to adults, to clean up their section of the community.
“While our primary focus will be on public areas, we’ll be encouraging neighbourhoods throughout town to start at home and pick up trash and litter on their local streets and sidewalks, being respectful of private property,” she said. “Whatever we can do in our own homes and the community to take care of our local environment.”
Cindy Brewer is another organizer of Clean Sweep.
“I know the people of Dresden, and volunteering, caring and love of their community is in their heart. Dresden always rises to the challenge,” she said.
The Rotary Club of Dresden is part of Operation Clean Sweep as well.
By the end of it, organizers hope to drive home the message to make every day Earth Day and to take the time to pick up litter every day of the year.
Organizers stressed that all activity would involve COVID safety protocols.
More information will be available at www.dresden.ca. Anyone interested in volunteering can e-mail volunteers@dresden.ca.
