The Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee announced that they are driving the town wide cleanup this year. Residents Jeff Barnes and Mike Boelsen coordinated last year’s event and did an amazing job, recruiting more than 25 participants picking up litter around town that day.

Those who wish to help should come to the Town Common between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Saturday, April 6, and there they will collect a big yellow garbage bag. The SGC team will assign them to an area on the map to clean up the litter there. Participants will go off for the cleanup and then leave their tied-up bag at a designated area nearby. Workers from DPW will pick up the bags the following Monday.

In addition to making the town looking great in advance of the marathon on April 15, the team hopes to educate the community that litter is more than an eyesore – it can directly and indirectly harm wildlife and us. We’ve all seen pictures of birds with plastic rings around their necks, or a dead seagull with a stomach full of plastic bottle tops. The debris can also contaminate lakes and lead to clogged storm drains, resulting in flooded areas.

This year, to coincide with the 100th start of the marathon in Hopkinton, the team is hoping to get at least 100 volunteers. One way to help accomplish that is having groups participate – churches, neighborhood groups, clubs, groups of any kind – by getting a contingent of their members and picking up trash together in an area they’re affiliated with. RoslinCT on South Street, for example, will be taking on that area and will be asking other companies on the South Street to join them. At the high school, the Environmental Action Club will focus on the school campus. A scout troop will be working together in some area. For large groups, accommodations will be made for them to do the cleanup on Friday if that works better. Groups looking to participate should contact HopGreenMA@gmail.com for more information.

The Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee hopes to see you on April 6!