Volunteers Show They Give a Darn

Did you feel it?

Did you feel the tidal wave of "Give a Darn" that swept over District 2 this past Saturday morning?

OK, I didn't feel a tidal wave either, but that doesn't change the fact that the First District 2 Clean Up Day was a huge, HUGE success.

I can't send enough gratitude to all the people and all neighborhood groups who got out on a bright, clear Saturday and worked HARD to make District 2 a cleaner and better place to live.

I'll be the first to admit that I underestimated how much work it would be to organize a districtwide clean up and overestimated how much we could really get done in a single morning.

Families, friends and neighbors joined one
of the cleanup teams in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood

My imaginary reality went something like this...

After receiving a single email request, thousands of people would pour outside to clean decades of grime from our streets and alleyways. We'd fill a half dozen landfills and make District 2 shine so brightly that satellites would be blinded as they orbit the earth.

Yeah, right.  :-)

Our actual reality was a little different. We didn't create a tsunami of clean, but we scrubbed a few spots thoroughly and I believe we started something even more powerful. Let me explain...

I'm sure you've all seen what happens when you throw a few rocks into different spots on a smooth and quiet lake.

Any one rock only makes a small splash. But a ring of ripples spreads out from the spot where each little rock landed. The ripples make waves in areas that weren't disturbed by the initial splash. The rings of ripples eventually grow so big that they bump into each other and pretty soon the whole lake is bouncing and glittering and alive with activity.

Student volunteers clean up a vacant lot
on the north side of Central Avenue.

Brenda, Esmeralda, Mark and Santino clean up near 14th and Central
completing their community service requirement for the
C.A.B.A. Student Summer Placement program.
They collected seventeen bags of litter from 18th to 13th
along Central Avenue and enjoyed a cold bottle of water later.
Santino said "I'll think twice before I toss that next candy wrapper!"

That's what we did on Saturday. We threw a few rocks into the "cleanup" lake in District 2.

From chainsaws and weedeaters to trash bags and gloves, representatives from the following groups made small but FANTASTIC improvement in areas scattered all across District 2:

Armourdale Renewal Association

Cathedral Neighborhood Association
Prescott Neighborhood Association
Riverview Neighborhood Association
St. Joseph/St. Benedict's Watchdogs

Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association

Wyandotte Countians Against Crime

Central Area Betterment Association

Community Housing of Wyandotte County
Downtown Shareholders

M.E. Pearson Elementary School

Resurrection Elementary School
Whittier Elementary School
Bishop Ward High School
Sumner Academy
Wyandotte High School

...and I'm sure there were others...please send me a note if I forgot your group...and please send more pictures for me to post later this week.

We're also indebted to Kirk Suther, Tim Nick and Mary Jane Johnson of the Unified Government for helping coordinate our efforts and providing supplies and support.

Volunteers in the St. Joe / St. Benedicts neighborhood clean up
a vacant lot on Mill Street.
How frustrating...removing the trees and brush
only revealed trash that had been dumped by the alley.

Are you kidding me???
We have the best trash pickup in the metro area
and people still have to dump junk
along the alleys in our neighborhoods?

As I drove between the individual cleanup sites, I saw dozens and dozens of other home and business owners who were also making a difference… demonstrating their own "give a darn" by cleaning up their own businesses, houses and yards (even though they probably didn't know about our "official" clean up effort).

The example that our volunteers provided to everyone else in the District is far bigger and more powerful than the amount of trash they happened to collect on Saturday morning.

The "Broken Window" theory states that maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition stops the spread of vandalism and crime.

So, it's not just about picking up one piece of trash. It's about making a statement to everyone who lives here or passes through that these are our neighborhoods and we are proud of them and we are not going to let anything bad happen to them.

And that's what we started on Saturday. The example set by our volunteers will spread through District 2 like ripples on a quiet lake. We showed everyone around us that we give a darn. Our example will encourage them to give a darn as well. It's a vicious circle, but in a good way!!

This weekend's activities show once again that the true power of our city does not live in an office in City Hall. Rather, the *true* power of our city lives and works in every home and business on every street.

I want everyone in District 2... heck everyone in Wyandotte County... to remember that you have the power. It is in your grasp to make this a better city for everyone. I hope all of you will consider stepping up to the challenge and throwing another rock into Lake Give a Darn.

An abandoned house plus a vacant lot
equals a big pile of trash and debris.
This was only the start... see more photos below.

How do we move forward from here? First, continue to set a powerful example by making every day a cleanup day.

Pick up any trash that you see around your house from the street in front to the alley in back. Use your own trash bags and put them out with your regular trash.

Team up with your neighbors and pick up trash on any public property near your house (streets, curbs, sidewalks, parks, alleys, etc.).

If you see a spot that needs a bigger cleanup (lots of trash, big items, need tools or equipment, etc.) email the location to bmckiernan@wycokck.org or call 913-573-5040 and talk to our staff. They will forward your message to me and we’ll work on those spots later.

Finally, stay tuned for news about targeted cleanup efforts that will be taking place in locations across District 2 all summer long. Be sure to volunteer when we come to your neighborhood!

Keep scrolling down for more pictures of our fantastic work force.

Whoa! There was a brick sidewalk under all that sod!!
Way to go guys.

These are some follow up pictures from the
St. Joe Watchdogs clean up site.
Removing all the brush (photo above) revealed a huge pile of trash.

Thankfully, we had volunteers who were up to the task.

Students from area schools pitched in to make a difference.

The pile just kept growing!
Here's a short list of the "treasure" that was uncovered:
2 toilets, sink, mattress, TV, lounge chair, 2 swimming pools, chain link fencing,
roofing material, 2x4 building studs and LOTS of trash.

After this load got picked up by our UG staff,
you could clearly see what a remarkable impact
the volunteers had on this little piece of District 2.
Woohoo!

Thanks!!!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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