Ward 2 will host the city’s third, quarterly community cleanup of 2018 at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Volunteers are asked to gather at 8:30 a.m. in the South Arkansas Arboretum — which is adjacent to the former campus of El Dorado High School, 501 Timberlane — to sign in, receive cleaning assignments and pick up supplies.
The community cleanup is the third to be held in El Dorado this year in response to a call by Keep El Dorado Beautiful for the city’s four wards to organize such events for each quarter of the year.
Ward 3 was first up to the plate in May and was followed by Ward 4 in June.
KEB and volunteers took a break as the summer heat set in, agreeing to resume the cleanups when temperatures cooled down in the fall.
City council members and other ward volunteers have been coordinating the events with assistance from KEB. Ward 4 council members Judy Ward and Vance Williamson are taking the helm of the cleanup on Saturday.
Clean Harbors has also offered cash incentives to encourage more people to participate in cleanups to help rid the city of litter.
Teams of 10 or more volunteers qualify for cash awards of $300 each.
Youth athletic teams, church groups and others received cash awards for their participation in community cleanups that were held earlier this year.
The effort got off to a rocky start, prompting KEB to clarify the rules of eligibility for the cash awards.
Teams must have at least 10 members who all participate on the day of the cleanup. The work must also be completed during the scheduled time of the cleanup.
Teams within the respective wards are given first dibs at the cash incentives, though other volunteers are welcome to participate and sign up for an available slot to receive a cash award.
KEB president Janis Van Hook said 10 teams have volunteered for the Ward 2 cleanup Saturday.
“That’s one reason we’re asking people to sign in so we’ll know that each group has 10 members,” Van Hook said.
Another reason for the sign-in is to document the information and submit it to Keep Arkansas Beautiful, which keeps track of such the details for local affiliates and parent group, Keep America Beautiful.
The Ward 2 cleanup will be held in conjunction with the Great Arkansas Cleanup, which is scheduled each September and October and includes major cleanup projects in communities around the state.
After teams fan out to clean designated areas in Ward 2 on Saturday, they will be asked to return to the arboretum at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and award presentations.
In the event of inclement weather, the cleanup will be rescheduled
“If you wake up Saturday morning and it’s raining, know that we’re not going to do that,” Van Hook, adding that KEB will try to spread the word about a cancellation through social media and other sources.
She said a cleanup for Ward 1 has not yet been scheduled.
“We hope to do it before Thanksgiving. We don’t know if Ward 1 will get under the wire of Oct. 31 for the Great Arkansas Cleanup,” Van Hook said.
For more information or to volunteer, call Van Hook at 870-314-3481, Ward at 870-863-4526 or Williamson at 870-864-0708.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].