South Alexandria Revitalization Committee Starts Team Up to Clean Up Project

The City of Alexandria is revitalizing their community through their Please Don’t Litter Campaign.

ABC 31 News Reporter Keisha Swafford has the story on how a non-profit organization helps kids to do community service.

News Reporter Keisha Swafford says, “Community leaders are planting three magnolia trees to revitalize the community.”

Alma Redwine Elementary is one of three schools involved in the tree planting ceremony.

Fourth Grader Devante Ford says, “I learned how to plant the tree and how to water the tree.”

16 years ago, the South Alexandria Revitalization Committee started the Team Up to Clean Up Project.

Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church Stanley Mathis says, “What we found was that there was a great need to further the development and the clean-up area of the city and from the original 9 individuals, we’re now at about 100 to 125 individuals who come out once a year on an annual basis to help us clean up the neighborhood.”

Coca-Cola sponsors the project to educate students on how to protect the earth.

Coca-Cola Sales Manager Mark Cowart says, “It’s great to see locally, our fourth graders look at the way we recycle, look at the way we pick up litter, just another way to get involved in our schools, not only the community.”

Prizes and certificates were given to students with the best drawings.

Mathis says, “Our objective was to involve kids in the neighborhood as they would demonstrate their drawings and show how to clean up the neighborhood as well.”

Students were taught how to care of trees at their school.

The committee’s clean-up day will start at the Antioch Baptist Church on April 22nd at 8:30 AM.