Visions of a clean state are achievable with the help of the 32nd annual TRASH-OFF event, which is Oklahoma’s signature event of the national Great American Cleanup. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful are partnering to present these statewide events, which helps ODOT eliminate litter along state highways.
The national Great American Cleanup is through May 31 and open to all communities and volunteers, while TRASH-OFF is an all-day event scheduled for April 18. The purpose of the events is to gather volunteers and motivate the public to clean up trash in their communities. Last year, all 77 Oklahoma counties participated in the event for the 10th consecutive year.
“Trash-OFF is a great opportunity for family, friends and groups to come together to keep Oklahoma beautiful in their community,” said, Melody Johnson, ODOT beautification coordinator. “Their work plays a critical part in the fight against litter, and we hope that events like these will be the catalyst to change the overall behavior and help people realize that littering impacts everyone.”
To join the Great American Cleanup and TRASH-OFF, groups, counties and individuals can register online at www.keepoklahomabeautiful.com or call 405-286-9141.
Supplies and promotional items will be provided to registered TRASH-OFF participants by Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. The items include trash bags provided with assistance from Keep America Beautiful, Waste Connections and Waste Management; gloves and safety vests from ODOT and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority; and water from PepsiCo and Oklahoma Beverage Association among others.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation distributes supplies to each county maintenance yard where they may be picked up by volunteer groups.
Last year, volunteers across the state cleaned more than 2,000 miles of public roads, removing more than 4 million pounds of litter. As events like this continue across the state, it makes an impact on achieving the clean state vision and leaving less distraction from Oklahoma’s beauty.
The efforts of volunteers statewide have been so successful that ODOT has received national recognition for its support from Keep America Beautiful and the U.S. Department of Transportation for the past six consecutive years.
Oklahoma’s Great American Cleanup is sponsored by ODOT, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, OGE Energy Corp., P&K Equipment, PepsiCo, Waste Connections and Waste Management, and Oklahoma Beverage Association.
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful staff poses for a photo for the 2019 Trash-OFF event at Arcadia Lake near the Oklahoma City metro. They are asking Oklahomans statewide to join in this year’s efforts to eliminate litter from public areas. —www.odot.org—
