NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — At least 90 volunteers spent their Friday at Lafayette Park doing some spring cleaning.
Some volunteers could be seen mulching, as others picked up the trash scattered throughout the fields. This was all in an effort to make Norfolk a little more pretty, kicking off the Great American Cleanup.
On top of a little routine cleaning, the volunteers are taking up paint brushes to add new colorful features to the park. Carlos Clanton, a school board member, joined the painters at the park.
“Any opportunity to get out and support the community and serve, I’m out here,” Clanton said. “Lifelong resident, not too far, grew up right here. So you know, making it beautiful.”
This week, WAVY’s Sarah Goode spoke to Program Manager Sarah Sterzing about Norfolk’s Great American Cleanup event. Watch in the video player on this page.
Seeing this many people putting on the work gloves is a day maker for Sarah Sterzing, the program manager with Keep Norfolk Beautiful. Many volunteers are groups coming in from the military and nearby schools.
“It’s so inspirational,” Sterzing said. “It’s really easy for us to get people involved. People are not loving litter and people really want to participate.”
Some of the volunteers are really making sure all corners of the park are covered, boating out to clean its shoreline along the Lafayette River.
“Really want people to be engaged, we want people to know that even cleaning at their own curb line has an impact,” Sterzing said.
This is just one of many clean-up efforts going on across the state, and they have many more planned throughout Hampton Roads. You can find out how to get involved by clicking here.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.