Great American Cleanup™, the nation’s largest community improvement program is taking place through May 31. Nationwide, close to three million volunteers will campaign for a cleaner, greener America as part of the 2008 Great American Cleanup by participating in 30,000 community improvement activities and educational workshops happening in over 17,000 communities nationwide. All will spread the message of individual responsibility to keep America’s communities clean, green and beautiful.

Keep Dawson County Beautiful encourages everyone to join in this grassroots effort. “Be creative. Organize your business, church, neighborhood or civic group to select a project that will impact the community in a variety of litter prevention, beautification, and waste minimization activities,” suggests Cathy Brooks, executive director of Keep Dawson County Beautiful. “Plant flowers, clean a vacant lot, beautify one of our landmarks, hold a recycling event, pick up litter; the choice can be yours.”

The Great American Cleanup is an annual event started in 1999 by Keep America Beautiful. Each year Georgians have worked to improve their communities by picking up litter in parks and roadways, planting trees and flowers to beautify public spaces, painting over graffiti, repairing local homes and businesses, and holding recycling drives and workshops.

“Keep Dawson County Beautiful embraces the vision that each of us holds an obligation to preserve and protect our environment,” Brooks states. “Through our everyday choices and actions, we collectively have a huge impact on our world. It's really a simple concept, but one with far reaching effects.” She continued, “Our goal for Dawson is to become a community of best practice where individuals take personal responsibility for improving our environment.”

To sign up for an activity or to get more information, call Cathy Brooks, executive director of Keep Dawson County Beautiful at 706-344-3501 x 255 or email KDCB@dawsoncounty.org.