The First Great Oconee Clean Up is just the Beginning

As the final days tick down until The Great Oconee Clean Up, the organizers of the event are looking at April 22, as not the end but really and truly a beginning. A beginning that Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw hopes to see grow and expand in the months and years to come. “We don’t want this to be a three hour event on Saturday morning, April 22,” says Sheriff Crenshaw. “We want to go forward with this. My thoughts are to make this a yearly emphasis in terms of one day a year or multiple days a year. We realize that not everyone can come out on April 22, but, you can pick up litter any day of the year, as a family or a civic, church or school group.” Those thoughts that the Sheriff made to the media recently was reiterated by the Keep Oconee Beautiful Association. “I would only add and emphasize what the Sheriff said, that it is a one day event but hopefully it is a mental process that will get people interested in picking up litter,” according to Phil Soper from KOBA. “There are groups, such as the Adopt-a-Highway group, and that is what we would like to see come out of this.” At a meeting that was held Monday to finalize plans for the event this Saturday, a discussion was held among the participants and organizations involved in this year’s event to host another Great Oconee Clean Up during the week of Earth Day next year as well as other possible dates to host litter clean up events. The Great Oconee Clean Up is a cooperative effort between the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee Economic Alliance, the Keep Oconee Beautiful Association and the School District of Oconee County. The event, which will be held on Earth Day, will begin at 8:15am with registration in the parking lot of New Spring Church, which is located just off Highway 123 near Highway 93 just outside of Clemson. The litter pickup portion of the event will begin at 9am and last until noon. Free parking in the parking lot of New Spring Church will be provided and transportation to the litter pickup locations will be provided by six activity buses from the School District of Oconee County that will be running throughout the event. The area designated for the clean-up is a five mile stretch of Highway 123 from Clemson to Seneca. Citizens are encouraged to pre-register by going to www.investoconeesc.com/upcoming-events/ or by clicking on The Great Oconee Clean Up link at www.oconeelaw.com. However, those who want to come the day of the event to participate can do so as forms and waivers will be available for citizens to sign this Saturday as those who are participating in the litter pickup must sign a release form before they can participate. Those picking up litter will also be provided a reflective vest and gloves and/or a grabber. The first 200 registrants will receive a free t-shirt. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The activity buses providing transportation will drop individuals off at half-mile intervals and a law enforcement officer will be on each bus to provide safety information before the actual pickup work begins in order to warn volunteers on litter that could be dangerous to handle, such as hypodermic needles and shake and bake meth labs. The Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol will also provide traffic control for the event. The buses will also bring those who volunteer back to the parking lot of New Spring Church after the event is over. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has already placed signs along Highway 123 announcing the date for the Clean Up.