LAKIN: Some say that every day should be Earth Day, but a local group is hosting their annual Downtown Syracuse Earth Day Cleanup this Saturday to celebrate the official holiday taking place on Monday. This clean-up event is one of the largest in the city each year. Vanessa Szwejbka is the communications associate for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, and she says it’s not just Syracuse residents that make the event so special.
SZWEJBKA: We have all these businesses that, their employees want to come back on a weekend and volunteer because they love that the place that they work is like their community. So we find that people do cleanups in their own neighborhoods, which is great, but for employees to come back into their workplace to clean the environment that they, they work in is really fantastic.
LAKIN: Over 250 participants will be helping at the Downtown Syracuse Earth Day Cleanup where they will be spread out throughout the downtown area, including here at Clinton Square. Szwejbka says everyone can play a small part in making our city a little bit cleaner.
SZWEJBKA: Our executive director, I love it when we walk downtown. When there’s a piece of trash on the street, she picks it up and puts it in the trash can so if everyone did that, I think we’d have less of a need for these big groups to go out one day a year. Let’s use this as momentum to, to clean up every single day in our community.
LAKIN: While registration for this cleanup event is full, there’s plenty of other ways people can celebrate Earth Day every day. Shayna Lakin, N-C-C News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Downtown Committee of Syracuse is hosting one of the largest cleanup events in the city this Saturday, just in time for Earth Day. Over 250 volunteers are signed up to help pick up garbage around the downtown area.
Vanessa Szwejbka is the communications associate for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse and she says the volunteers for the event are not just Syracuse residents.
“We have all these businesses that, their employees want to come back on a weekend and volunteer because they love that the place that they work is like their community,” Szwejbka said.
While Earth Day is April 22 this year, Szwejbka says it is important to try and keep the city clean all year round. She says even the executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse plays her part in taking care of the planet.
“When there’s a piece of trash on the street, she picks it up and puts it in the trash can so if everyone did that, I think we’d have less of a need for these big groups to go out one day a year. Let’s use this as momentum to clean up every single day in our community,” Szwejbka said.
Registration for this year’s Downtown Syracuse Earth Day Cleanup Event is closed but there are plenty of other ways to celebrate Earth Day in Central New York. Szwejbka urges everyone to treat every day like Earth Day.
