By Brett Callwood
On Saturday, September 20, Gardena will endeavor to keep the city beautiful for the 25th year. The community cleanup event takes place from 8 a.m. until noon, though participants should have registered by September 5.
Director of Public Works, Allan Rigg, PE AICP, told the News that, “The Keep Gardena Beautiful Day (KGBD) citywide cleanup event started in 2000. This year, we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of this event. Traditionally, KGBD is held on the third Saturday of September. The event started off small and throughout the past few years, we had over 500 attendees. Volunteers consist of residents, students, churches, businesses, and community members.”
The signups for volunteers has always been tremendous, according to Rigg. “We start receiving inquiries about KGBD around March/April. Registration fills up quickly. We exceed capacity two to three weeks before the event. We have residents that return year after year to participate.”
Rigg said that KGBD is a rewarding event. “Community members are able to work alongside staff and cleanup train tracks, sidewalks, alley/ivy, community gardens and Gardena Willow Wetland Preserve. They’re able to make a visible difference and feel good at the end of the day. Attendees can earn volunteer hours for their school. The entire event is also funded by the community.”
According to facts received from the City, “The City Council visits the various cleanup locations throughout the event and distributes water and t-shirts for the attendees that cannot pick them up before the event. After the cleanup portion is completed, all attendees gather at Mas Fukai Park for lunch and the City Council gives out raffle prizes.”
In addition, “The Public Works Department and Beautification Commission start planning for KGBD six months prior to the event. We have a committee that works on fundraising, marketing, t-shirts, registration, lunch for the event, selecting cleanup locations, ordering supplies, etc. We’re proud to share that this event runs well and smoothly every year.”
For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keep-gardena-beautiful-day-community-cleanup-tickets-1428607346029?aff=oddtdtcreator.
