2019 Community Cleanup – Keep Middletown Ohio Beautiful

Everyone who attended on Saturday should be proud of how much trash we cleaned up. There were lots of new faces which is always a welcome site. This is my 4th year participating in the Earth Day festivities in Middletown. Each year I see more impact and increased involvement across the city. I look forward every year to Earth Day because I get to hang out with all my friends and go do something great for the community.

This year PRISM cleaned up roughly 40 bags of trash, as well as a good amount of tires and furniture which included mattresses, couches, and large boxes. We planted 4 trees on the east side of South Park and painted a decent amount of street signs and storm drains. (Actually Doug Bean inventoried the painted signs I just need to count them.)

I’m always impressed with how everyone pulls together to complete our projects.  I had a fantastic time working with everyone. I posted photos on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, but I’ll include some here for those who don’t use social media.

On Saturday, Joe Hudec was presented an award from the City of Middletown Ohio for his stewardship in cleaning up litter and overall community involvement. While we all do our part, Joe spends time out of each day to go around the city and pickup trash. You’ll see him all the way up near Franklin and all over Central Avenue. He plants trees where some have died, and he quietly mulches other trees that are in need of care, and you’ll see him snow blowing sidewalks after a snow storm. Joe goes way above and beyond, so if you see him out tell him thank you!

Year after year, Joe’s wife Linda always has her kitchen at the ready to feed our hungry volunteers. A special thanks to Linda, and as always the spread of food was amazing.

If you see Jeff Michel around be sure to give him a thank you as well. His team works overtime to put this event together for our city. Starting years ago with just a few attendees, the overall volunteer count ranges anywhere from 300-600 people depending on the year. Talk about impact!

Thanks again to everyone that put in a helping hand!