“Love our county, don’t trash it,” is the theme of the ‘Pick Up Patrick’ campaign that kicks off in April. The countywide initiative encourages individuals, schools, clubs, and organizations to help clean up their community by cleaning up the roadsides and waterways.
The Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, EMI Security, the Patrick County Greenteam, and Patrick County Tourism are partnering on the project.
EMI Security provided a generous donation that the chamber will use to encourage participation through monetary awards.
All clubs, teams, and organizations that register on the chamber’s website to clean up an area will be entered into a contest to win $500. One award per group, and there are ten awards to be offered.
Research shows that 90 percent of Americans think that litter is a problem, according to the 2020 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Survey. Another part of the study shows that littering is often accompanied by a pack mentality, meaning that people who have friends who litter are more likely to litter themselves.
“The visual blight that it has on the landscape takes away the beauty and thus drives our tourists away. Littering is bad, period,” said James Houchins, director of Tourism and Marketing.
Other notes of importance from the survey reflect there are over 50 billion pieces of litter on the ground in America. That equates to 2,857 pieces per mile of roadway and 2,411 pieces per mile of waterway.
For more information or to register for any of the Pick Up Patrick sponsored events, visit the chamber website at www.patrickchamber.com or call the office at (276) 694-6012.
The new and improved Pick Up Patrick campaign for April would not be possible without the chamber’s partners, which also include the Rotary Club of Stuart.
