The fourth annual Henderson-Vance Spring Litter Sweep will be held Monday, April 16, through Saturday, April 21, with local residents urged to get involved in this effort to clean up around their homes, businesses, churches, schools, neighborhoods, subdivisions and along city streets and county roadways.
“We’ve had lots of success with our previous Spring Litter Sweep efforts,” said Terri Hedrick, chairperson of the Vance County Appearance Commission, which is coordinating the clean-up effort along with the Henderson Community Appearance Commission. “We’re hoping for really good weather throughout the week and hope to see hundreds of volunteers out cleaning up and making a difference in our community.”
Volunteers who are family members, church groups, school groups, civic organizations, members of volunteer fire departments, community watch groups and N.C. Adopt-A-Highway participants are expected to clean up litter, illegal dumping areas, discarded old tires, yard debris and more from blighted areas in Henderson and Vance County.
There are five business sites throughout Vance County where volunteers may go to receive clean-up supplies including orange safety vests, large orange trash bags and protective gloves. These sites are:
- Charles Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC Inc. on U.S. 158 Bypass in Henderson
- John Foster Homes on Norlina Road near Henderson
- Kittrell Grocery on U.S. 1 in Kittrell
- Williamsboro Grocery on N.C. 39 North in Williamsboro
- Gillburg Best Bet on N.C. 39 South in Gillburg
The supplies also can be picked up from Terri Hedrick in the Vance County Schools’ Administrative Services Center on Graham Avenue in Henderson. Supplies also will be available on Saturday, April 21, beginning at 8 a.m. in front of the City Operations Center on Beckford Drive.
When volunteers pick up supplies, they will be asked to sign a participant’s list for their contact information. The orange safety vests must be returned by volunteers, so that they can be turned back in to the local N.C. Department of Transportation office.
All Spring Litter Sweep volunteers will be given tickets to attend the free hot dog lunch provided to participants beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 21, at the City Operations Center on Beckford Drive in Henderson. The lunch is being sponsored by Jason Brown and his Wisdom for Life Ministry. A native of Vance County, Brown now stars in the National Football League with the St. Louis Rams. Brown will attend the lunch and will offer first, second and third-place cash prizes to volunteer groups who pick up the most trash and debris, have the largest number of volunteers and find the most unique item during the clean-up efforts. The cash prizes are $150 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.
Volunteers for the Spring Litter Sweep may clean up areas they have identified or members of the appearance commissions will suggest areas.
Once volunteer groups fill up a trash bag, they are asked to tie the bag and leave it along the sides of city streets and county roadways, so that city Maintenance Department workers and personnel from the N.C. Department of Transportation can pick up the items. Tires and other debris also should be left on the side of streets and roads. City residents are encouraged to leave old appliances they want to recycle on street curbs for pick up by maintenance workers.
Anyone seeking additional information about the Spring Litter Sweep or those interested in volunteering to help in the effort may contact Hedrick at 492-2127, extension 2100, or Solon Smith, chairperson of the Henderson Community Appearance Commission, at 572-4519.