The Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest annual community improvement program, held March through May, rallies people to make sweeping, dramatic changes from coast to coast. Last spring, more than 2.3 million volunteers worked more than 7 million hours cleaning, beautifying, and improving 15,000 communities during 30,00 Great American Clean up events.

    2009 Ottawa River Clean up photos, courtesy of Evelyn Smith

  Safety increases in clean communities on several levels, according to community leaders. Eighty-nine percent of community leaders who organized and reported on GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP events feel communities are safer as a result of activities like the GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP.

"After completeing these amazing accomplishments, it's only natural that people increase their pride in, respect for and commitment to their local environments.  It builds a network of caring that is inherent to safer, cleaner and more beautiful communities," said G. Raymond Empson, president of Keep American Beautiful. "These success stories are building momentum for the 20th anniversary of the Great American Cleanup in 2005." 

Our Ottawa River Cleanup was a huge success in April , and we would like to thank everyone for participating. Read more about it here as our stats come in...