Help spruce up Sault Ste. Marie at annual spring clean-up on May 4

SAULT STE. MARIE — Spring has sprung in the Soo and lots of residents are coming together for an upcoming city-wide spring cleaning.

Every year, dozens of volunteers come together to help pick up the trash that has accumulated over the winter. Sault residents walk across the entire city with trash bags picking up garbage and other debris that has been hiding under the snow on streets, in parks and between buildings.

The annual trash pickup day has been a tradition in downtown Sault for over a decade as part of city beautification efforts. The tradition has outlived the committee that initially organized it and has grown into a popular community event.

Event organizer Mary Joe DuVall has helped run the event for more than six years and has introduced new aspects to bring in more participants.

Prior to the pandemic, the event would include a group picnic. In recent years, volunteers can look forward to gift cards to local businesses and ice cream shops.

"We want to spruce up the city, make our community look a little nicer," said DuVall. "We've had really nice weather this year so we're taking advantage of that and having it a little early."

Any individual, family group or business can sign up to take part in the clean-up. The event starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, and will begin at the farmers market. From there, volunteers will be given garbage bags, separated into groups and will each take a section of the city to clean.

Volunteers are asked to register by at least 9 a.m. on the day of the event and to come pick up their garbage bags at the corner of Portage and Ashmun streets inside the farmers market.

To sign up, send a message to Mary Jo DuVall at (906) 440-0667.

"This is a great chance to get out of the house and give back to the community," said Duvall.

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— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Help spruce up Sault Ste. Marie at annual spring clean-up on May 4