BIG CLEAN = BIG SUCCESS!

Despite the competitive atmosphere in the room, Collinwood and Euclid neighbors pose together for one big photo to celebrate the first Big Clean!

Despite the cold, drizzly weather, Collinwood and Euclid neighbors came out in force Saturday May 6th to clean up their streets!  The Big Clean was the first two city cleanup with a competitive twist -Collinwood and Euclid would compete to collect the most bags of street litter!   While competitive, the Big Clean was also collaborative and wouldn’t have been possible without so many partners and supporters!

Thanks to Villa Angela- St. Joseph High School (VASJ) for hosting the event and giving volunteers an opportunity to get out of the rain and warm up over some coffee and donuts donated by Black Water Roasters and Dunkin Donuts  and pick up supplies donated by Keep America Beautiful, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, HandsOn Northeast Ohio, QRS Supplies, Shore Cultural Center, Euclid Hospital, Enviro Chemical, and Euclid residents Jim O’Hare, Marty Miller.  Thanks also to VASJ Students who helped guide volunteers into the school and cleaned up litter around campus.  Big thanks to Court Community Service and the Euclid Service Department for collecting trash bags and throughout both cities and running a Euclid street sweeper along Lakeshore down to East 140th Street!

After three hours of cleanup, bags were piling up and hands were beginning to feel numb.  Volunteers returned to VASJ to warm up and enjoy refreshments donated by Dave’s Supermarket, Marco’s Pizza, VASJ, and Ganley Subaru of Wickliffe.   WINT/1330 radio provided background music and helped welcome special guest speakers Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Councilman Michael Polensek and VASJ President Bill Cervenik. 

Volunteers were also entered into a raffle to win some awesome door prizes!  A special thanks to Paragon Restaurant & Martini Bar, The Euclid Shade Tree Commission, Marche-N-Haab Beauty Salon, Garden PhD, Citizen Pie, Blue Arrow Records, and Chili Peppers Mexican Grill and Euclid residents Dave Lynch and Dave Carlson, for donating such awesome prizes!   

The Big Clean would not have been possible without financial and volunteer support from the City of Euclid, Keep Euclid Beautiful (Keep America Beautiful Affiliate), Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team, Northeast Shores Development Corporation, and of course the determined neighbors, church congregations, and business owners of Collinwood and Euclid!!

When all was said and done, over two tons of trash was collected and over 200 volunteers donated more than 500 hours of service.  What a day!  In the end, Euclid edged out Collinwood in the litter bag count, but both communities were big winners.  Don’t worry Collinwood, we will have a chance for redemption at next year’s Big Clean.  Mark your calendars for Saturday May 5th 2018!  For more pics and videos, search #TheBigClean2017 on Facebook and Instagram.

Can’t wait a year to get in on all the cleanup action?  You don’t have to!  Visit Facebook.com/AdoptEuclidBeach to check out how you can get involved with neighborhood street and beach cleanups.  See our 2017 cleanup schedule below.

June 10 - 10AM – 12PM Beach Cleanup @ Euclid Beach Park – volunteers check in at picnic shelter
August 5 - 10AM – 12PM Street Cleanup @ Lakeshore Blvd – volunteers check in at Collinwood Rec
September 16 - 10AM – 12PM International Coastal Cleanup Day @ Euclid Beach Park – volunteers check in at picnic shelter
October 14 - 10AM – 12PM Street Cleanup @ TBD – stay tuned!
November 18 - 10AM – 12PM Street Cleanup @ Lakeshore Blvd – volunteers check in at Collinwood Rec


*If you and your neighbors would like to do your own litter cleanup, let us know so we can hook you up with gloves, bags and more!

For more information or questions about cleanups, contact adopt.euclidbeach@gmail.com or call 216-571-0685.

Stephen Love

Stephen Love is a Lake Erie fanatic from Cleveland, OH. In his day job he works for the Cuyahoga Land Bank and in every other waking moment is the founder and coordinator of Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team and Euclid Beach Blast! He started Euclid Beach Blast out of a desire to explore the connections between environmental stewardship, art, public spaces, music, and community.

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 6:04 PM, 06.13.2017