A Litter Bit Better News

During April 18-25, more than 3,200 Rochester volunteers collected over 40,000 pounds or 19.5 tons!

Our thanks to all of you who pitched in to make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! Find RNeighbors on Facebook and become our "fan" so you can receive updates on future neighborhood events. There you can see lots of fun photos posted of the week-long community event.

Many neighbors, clubs, and churches across Rochester spent some time during the first weekend of the 2009 Litter Bit Better pickup scouring parks and neighborhoods for trash. You can see some photos of the weekend's work.

On Tuesday, April 14, Mrs. Robbins' fourth grade class at Rochester Central Lutheran had the treat of having a pizza party with Mayor Brede. One of their classmates, Kayla Manuell was the Grand Prize winner of the 2009 A Litter Bit Better! poster contest.

Kayla's poster was a colorful sunflower masterpiece that said "clean up Rochester." You can see her winning poster and others here.

Announcing the Grand Prize winner for the 2009 A Litter Bit Better! Poster Contest - Kayla Manuell and her "Clean Up Rochester" sunflower picture!

For the second year, we challenged all fourth grade students in Rochester to draw a brightly colored picture that displays:

During April 19-26, more than 4,000 Rochester volunteers collected over 12 tons of litter.

Our thanks to all of you who pitched in to make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! Look and see some photos taken during the week of pick up.

Waste Collected

• Bottles, cans, paper, plastic, cigarette butts, and food containers/wrappers were the most commonly reported types of litter.
• There were several reports of personal hygeine products being common. In one collection area, the volunteers found condoms and a bible.
• Weird things collected this year include: a witches hat, a $100 bill, bags of dog poop, a fire hose, and a lawn mower.

Volunteer Totals (based on registration information)

• 196 groups registered to collect litter.
• At the time of their registration, the estimated number of volunteers exceeded 4,000 individuals. (Many groups did not provide an estimated group size.)
• Some groups that were known to collect litter did not register.
• School groups comprised about 45% of the volunteers, with Mayo High School topping the charts at about 1,000 students. Other schools that had large groups included Elton Hills Elementary, Kellog Middle School, Gage Elementary, Adam Abdulle Academy, John Marshall High School, and RCTC/UCR staff and students.
• Large numbers of volunteers came from other organized groups: 26 girl and boy scout groups, 6 church groups, and 9 neighborhood associations.
• Charter Communication and Custom Alarm were the largest business groups.

Waste Management and Rochester Service Company donated their equipment AND drivers donated their time to pick it the bags of litter collected around the city. We couldn't do it without their enthusiastic involvement!

A big green Thank You to below businesses, organizations, and individuals. They stepped up and donated funds that we'll put to good use by purchasing garbage bags, printing promotional materials, and purchasing supplies for the opening and closing events.

Please thank them for helping to make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! with your patronage.

A Litter Bit Better was featured in the April issue of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's Advantage member magazine.

The below article was written by Brian Olson, the Communications Director at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. The cover photo was taken with A Litter Bit Better Steering Committee members by Lower Photography and Studio.

The Goal of A Litter Bit Better
More and more people picking up less and less litter every year.

Why A Litter Bit Better Works

1. The steering committee is a cooperative effort between individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and the local government. A litter-free city benefits all parts of the community. The steering committee is a group of highly dedicated people who are passionate about the mission.
Read the rest of this entry...

This Mayo High School student effort of over 1,000 students worked together to clean up Mayo High school grounds, Bear Creek Park, and woods along the creek behind the school.

Tom Olson, Assistant Principal, along with Kevin Landherr, a Science Teacher, coordinated the effort. Over 7 hours, heaps of trash were collected and students enthusiastically commented on the quantity of recycling materials they collected, as well as what a great opportunity it was to better their community.

Despite the misty skies and soggy ground, intrepid volunteers started gathering litter on day one of A Litter Bit Better! 2008. Look and see some photos taken on the first day of pick up. Rochester neighbors have been busy!

There are still areas that need to be adopted, so it’s not too late for people to register; the event continues through next Saturday, April 26.

Announcing the Grand Prize winner for the 2008 A Litter Bit Better! Poster Contest - Alicia Cowl and her "Trasketball" picture!

We challenged all fourth grade students in Rochester to draw a brightly colored picture that displays:

• Why it is important to not litter
Read the rest of this entry...