St. Charles Parish is encouraging volunteer groups, schools, families and individuals to help clean and beautify the parish this October through its ongoing Trash Bash initiative.
The fall Trash Bash is a month-long effort to not only clean roadside litter, but to also spruce up private yards, homes and businesses throughout the parish.
Volunteers will decide which areas they wish to clean, and some work supplies will be available upon signup.Parish spokeswoman Renee Simpson said that unlike the parish’s traditional spring “Trash Bash,” there is not a one-day event associated with this one.
That is, she says, by design.
“By not attaching it to an event, we can open it up to a lot more people,” Simpson said. “It’s not a one-off day. So, whether you want to do a little cleanup or even do something on a larger scale like landscaping, this is a way to encourage people to go a little above and beyond.
“Even if someone is doing it already, let us know about it and add to a parish-wide celebration.”
This version of the cleanup will not feature an after-celebration, but volunteers will be eligible to win one of two Apple iPad minis, donated through a grant from Entergy, in an online photo contest.
Groups or individuals wishing to participate must sign up at www.scptrashbash.org using the form provided to be entered into the contest.
Participants then have until midnight Oct. 31 to e-mail photos of their cleanup or beautification project to publicinfo@stcharlesgov.net. Before and after photos and action photos are encouraged.
During the first week in November, all entries will be posted to the Trash Bash Facebook page at www.facebook.com/scptrashbash with a full description of each project.
After a period of five days after the posting date, the two projects with the most ‘likes’ associated with its photo will win the 2015 Fall Trash Bash Photo Contest.
“We love before and after pictures,” Simpson said. “Anything that shows that kind of improvement gets good attention.”Simpson added that the Trash Bash can also be utilized as a way for students to gain service hours required by their schools, churches or community organizations.
Group leaders can receive service hour certificates by e-mailing publicinfo@stcharlesgov.net or calling (985) 783-5182.
“(The students) have been a big help before,” Simpson said. “This is a good way to fulfill those hours.”
In March, a total of 150 volunteers registered for the seventh annual spring Trash Bash with a total of 149 bags of litter – about 2,970 pounds – collected.
“The event helps the parish accomplish its goal to promote a parish that is safe, environmentally conscious and provides cultural and aesthetic enjoyments,” Simpson said. “We started this idea back in the early days of the V.J. St. Pierre administration as a way to make our parish more beautiful and inviting.”
For more information about Trash Bash and household and hazardous waste recycling opportunities, visit www.scptrashbash.org.
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