G r eat A m er ica n Cle a nu p // 201 2 Re p ort
Cleanups are Just the Beginning The Great American Cleanup originally began as a litter cleanup initiative designed to aesthetically improve the environment by creating more inviting parks, streetscapes and public spaces. As the program has matured and grown, grassroots organizations have taken on more diverse challenges—eliminating graffiti, collecting recyclables, planting community gardens, and hosting educational events. But community cleanups remain at the very heart of the event, and the results are staggering. In 2012 alone, 87 million pounds of litter and debris were collected by volunteers throughout the country.
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has hosted the Great American Cleanup Gwinnett Challenge since 1999 and has witnessed steady growth every year. This year’s event had more than 40 groups and organizations participating. Each group designed its own project in one of seven different categories in the hope of becoming a 2012 Challenge Winner. One winner was selected from each category and awarded a $500 cash prize for making the biggest transformation and impact on his or her neighborhood and community. Categories included the Green-up Your Neighborhood Award, the Stash the Trash Award, the Beautify Your Space Award, the Put Litter in Place Award, the Recycle Now Award, the Wipeout Graffiti Award, and the Grow Green Award. Primerica, the Wipeout Graffiti winner, painted more than 660 feet of fencing to remove old graffiti. Its effort helped to beautify a neighborhood entrance and will discourage future graffiti vandalism along Old Norcross Road.
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Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful’s Executive Director Connie Wiggins stated, “This Challenge allows community groups to demonstrate their stewardship and pride in Gwinnett by working to make our community cleaner, safer and more livable.”
3,300 miles of biking, hiking and nature trails cleaned or beautified in 2012
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Gwinnett’s Great American Cleanup Challenge
The Grow Green winner, Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners, built and planted three vegetable and flower gardens at Sheltering Arms. Children at this facility care for the gardens and are producing vegetables for use at the Daycare Center. The Recycle Now winner, Teacher’s As Leaders, collected more than 1,100 books to give to children being treated at Gwinnett Medical Center. Thanks to this project, the children receive a free book when they check out of the hospital. These were three examples of the many creative projects conducted in Gwinnett County that took place during the 2012 Great American Cleanup.