ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A team led by one of the Lehigh Valley’s leading "litter vigilantes" on Saturday won the city’s first tournament-style clean-up.
- More than 150 bags of trash was cleared Saturday during a clean-up in Allentown
- A team of volunteers with LV Clean Up won the competition for most bags collected
- Organizers are planning for next year's event
“We covered Ridge Avenue and Gordon and Front streets, plus some tangential areas, like alleyways and streets on the periphery,” said Kathy Frederick, founder of LV Clean Up. “Basically, wherever we found trash, trash be gone!”
Frederick’s team of volunteers swept the competition during the Community and The Arts Clean Up, an all-ages event led by Real Recognize Real Entertainment and partner organizations that aimed to combine community service and engagement. The team collected 47 bags of garbage, almost a third of the more than 150 bags of litter were cleared during the event.
“It's all about engaging the community and showing them by example that with the will and a little bit of time and effort, they can be a part of something positive, productive and that improves the quality of life for all in the city."
Kathy Frederick, founder of LV Clean Up
“It's all about engaging the community and showing them by example that with the will and a little bit of time and effort, they can be a part of something positive, productive and that improves the quality of life for all in the city,” Frederick said.
Damaris Vega, chief coordinator for Real Recognize Real, released the rankings Monday. A team from Promise Neighborhoods Lehigh Valley earned second place after collecting 36 bags, while a crew from the city fell into third with 32 bags.
The Real Recognize Real team collected 28 bags, and the last place team, the “Locals,” cleared eight bags.
The litter problem
Frederick said trash collected was “the usual suspects,” including plastic bottles, fast food containers, cups and cans, beer bottles, small and large cardboard boxes, plastic bags, food, snack bags and wrappers, cigarette butts, chicken bones, one syringe and three loaded diapers.
There are more than 500 million pieces of litter on Pennsylvania's roads, according to the state’s latest litter research study, published in January 2020. Cigarette butts and plastic make up the bulk of the trash, 37% and 30%, respectively. The report found that motorists and pedestrians are the leading litter contributors.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Kathy
More than 50 bags of trash were collected from Allentown's streets Saturday as part of the Community and The Arts Clean Up.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Mac Vill
The tournament-style clean up aimed to encourage community engagement and clear litter from Allentown's neighborhoods.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Mac Vill
The tournament-style clean up aimed to encourage community engagement and clear litter from Allentown's neighborhoods.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Mac Vill
The tournament-style clean up aimed to encourage community engagement and clear litter from Allentown's neighborhoods.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Mac Vill
The tournament-style clean up aimed to encourage community engagement and clear litter from Allentown's neighborhoods.
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— Community and The Arts Clean Up Mac Vill
The tournament-style clean up aimed to encourage community engagement and clear litter from Allentown's neighborhoods.
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Allentown alone spends $4.5 million each year on litter prevention, education and outreach, abatement and enforcement, according to “The Cost of Litter & Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania.” The bulk of the money, about $2.5 million, is spent on abatement.
Neil Singh, the program director for Promise Neighborhoods’ Promise Corps, said the team “had a blast” at the event.
“We unfortunately couldn't stick around for the festivities after the clean-up part,” Singh said. “It was a very productive morning though.”
‘A more successful and bigger tournament next year’
After the clean-up, teams and volunteers returned to Bucky Boyle Park, 10 Pump Place, for food and music, as well as networking — a key part of the event.
“Each table walked away with plenty of people that came through and signed up to receive more information about the organization or to volunteer their time for their cause,” said Vega.
Live music, sponsored by Solid Ground Entertainment of the Lehigh Valley, included DJ Bez Musiq, Mac Vill, CEO of Real Recognize Real Entertainment, L.A Gellis, CallMeVince, Bekah, Foggy Fargo and G.Mercedes – “all singers or hip hop artists with a positive message for the people,” she added.
“The live music was fantastic,” Frederick said. “They had everyone groovin' in the grass.”
The event was so successful, organizers said they’re already planning for next summer’s event.
“We had other organizations show interest in sponsorship and partnerships for next year's tournament so we look forward to a more successful and bigger tournament next year,” Vega said.
