Earth Month Effort Draws Large Number of Volunteers In County Wide Cleanup

The April Upstate Team-up to Clean-up Challenge, supported by Palmetto Pride, a friendly competition between upstate Keep America Beautiful Affiliates, closed with grand success.  Keep Laurens County Beautiful (KLCB) reported 206 participating volunteers, with an impressive total of 11,281 pounds of trash picked up from Laurens County roadways.

Upstate counties, including Anderson, Greenwood, Greenville, Laurens, Newberry, Spartanburg, and Pickens participated in the Challenge. This initiative was organized to honor Earth Day and raise awareness about the importance of keeping our environment clean and healthy. Across the Upstate, a grand total of 60,000 pounds of litter was collected and removed, making a significant impact in our communities.  Congratulations are in order to our friends in Greenwood County for winning the Upstate challenge.  

“This year’s Earth Month Cleanup was our biggest and most successful clean-up to date,” says Courtney Stonell, KLCB Affiliate Coordinator. “We saw a tremendous response from individuals and groups across the county who came forward to support our mission of creating a cleaner, greener, more beautiful Laurens County.”

In addition to the many roadside and waterway cleanup activities, 150 trees were planted througha donation from Michelin of Spartanburg, a recycling program was launched in collaboration with Joanna-Woodson Elementary, and four storm drain artwork sites were selected and the artist recruitment began with hopes of project completion in July.  These partnerships are part of the ongoing effort to promote environmental sustainability.

“We wholeheartedly believe that when we invest in educating our youth, we’re actually investing in a future that’s not just greener, but also more sustainable,” says Tanya Towne, Joe Adair Center Director who incorporated the clean-up challenge within Laurens and Clinton school districts.

The success of the KLCB Earth Month Cleanup campaign would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, partners, and volunteers. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who contributed to this cause.

Keep Laurens County Beautiful was established in 2022 under the Laurens County Chamber OfCommerce supported by and in partnership with Laurens County Council, the City of Clinton, City of Fountain Inn, City of Laurens, Laurens County Development Corporation, and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office.  For more information on KLCB, contact Courtney Stonell at (864) 871-6031 or [email protected].