The Issac Sterett Adventure Foundation is hoping to help make a dent in the litter issue across Daviess County. The nonprofit’s Operation Community Cleanup returns for year 2 on April 20 and includes a competition among the participating groups to make the biggest impact possible. Registration is open for groups looking to join the cause.
The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. at the foundation’s headquarters at the Center for Good Works, located at 1010 Allen Street. After cleaning up their pre-selected areas, teams will return to the headquarters to drop off their trash off by 10 a.m.
The foundation’s Executive Director Julia Tipmore said that teams can register beforehand to reserve a cleanup area, and they’ll receive supplies the morning of the event. For more registration information, visit the event website.
“We are just so excited to be able to bring this event back and hope to do it every year in the future,” Tipmore said. “Last year blew us away with how many people showed up for our community, and we just hope it continues to grow because it really benefits every single person that lives in the Owensboro-Daviess County area.”
Last year the event ended with 387 trash bags being filled in addition to trailers and trucks being full of larger items.
The idea for the community cleanup event was birthed as a way to further the foundation’s mission to get people in the outdoors and enjoy what nature has to offer.
The foundation is named in honor of the late Issac Sterett, who was an avid lover of the outdoors, so the group wanted to ensure they could continue Sterett’s legacy and help the community at the same time.
“We are passionate about keeping our community clean for several reasons, and perhaps the most top-of-mind reason is that we all live here, and we all want to live in a beautiful, clean, and safe space,” Tipmore said. “… Issac loved the outdoors, and he would absolutely love everything about this event.”
Seeing people from all ages get in the competitive spirit made the inaugural event complete, Tipmore said. Going into this year, they want to maintain that competitive spirit while also making efforts easier for participants.
Tipmore said they anticipate providing high-visibility shirts to the first 40 teams, along with bringing in more volunteers and more dumpsters. They also plan to have a local coffee truck in attendance to keep spirits high, she said.
Tipmore said the event is still looking for sponsors. Anyone interested in a sponsorship can find out more information here.
