Volunteers to pickup trash during Great American Cleanup

Base volunteers will be asked to pickup trash alongside their designated adopt-a-highway segments Monday through Friday, April 14-18, and encouraged to participate in the communitywide pickups on Saturday, April 19.

Kingsland will coordinate their pickup efforts from Howard Peeples Park on Gross Road on Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Marys will coordinate their effort at the waterfront park in downtown St. Marys on Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Volunteers who want to participate should meet at their desired locations, where they will be assigned a pickup area, provided trash bags, disposable gloves, and informed about safety procedures. If your group wants to pick up trash in unincorporated areas of Camden County, you can call the Randy Gunter with the Solid Waste Authority, at 912-552-3785 or 912-729-4099 for information or to volunteer. For more information or to volunteer in Woodbine, call Beth Gowan at 912-576-3211.

Additional rally locations may be added if enough groups and people volunteer. If your group wants to participate in the GAC but can not on April 19, call your respective area contacts to arrange an alternate pickup date and time.

"We are looking for many local groups, businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals to help make this the largest pickup effort ever in Camden County," said Elaine Headley-TA, St. Marys Great American Cleanup coordinator.

"If you or your group is interested, I encourage you to send representatives to the next GAC organizational meetings." The next meeting is slated Thursday, April 10, 1 p.m., at the St. Marys Public Works building on Point Peter Road. For more information about the meeting or pickup efforts in St. Marys, call Elaine at 912-882-4415 Bill Coleman, Kingsland's Great American Cleanup coordinator, echoed Headley-TA's call for volunteers.

"Call me or Ron Knox ahead of time if you are a big group, and we'll hook you up with as large an area as you can handle, but we want anybody who wants to participate to show up at the park for the Kingsland pickup," he said. They can be reached at 912-729-5613.

To help solve litter challenges in Camden County, a steering committee formed recently to explore ways to help keep Camden County tidy throughout the year. Initial plans include taking steps towards becoming a certified Keep Georgia Beautiful area. The group also plans to present a joint resolution to area governments in the very near future. For additional information, call Doug Cooper at 912-674-9317.

"This committee, comprised or Camden County volunteers, has taken ownership of the litter challenges here, and they will greatly compliment the many government and volunteer efforts already in place," said Steve Howard, Camden County administrator. "The trash cleanup on April 19 will be a great opportunity for people and organizations to help make a real and visible commitment to the cleanliness of our community."

The main consideration during any trash pickup alongside area roads and waterway is safety, according to Debra Simeone, Kings Bay's safety director.

"If you are driving on Camden County roads during the pickup time, please be extra aware of the volunteers and slow down, and give them extra space if you can do so safely," she said. "If you are picking up trash, be aware of your surroundings and watch out for motorists." Each year from March 1 to May 31, millions of Americans and tens of thousands of people from Georgia and our area volunteer to help beautify highways, waterways and communities during the annual Great American Cleanup.

For additional information, call the base's community relations director, Neil Guillebeau, at 912-467-1380.