Volunteers showed their civic pride Saturday when they “sweeped” Columbus clean through various service projects throughout the city.
The volunteers, which were organized by the LINK”d Young Professionals and the Keep Columbus/Lowndes Beautiful group, picked up litter along major roads and painted the Magnolia Bowl, among other projects.
Jason Spears, who co-owns JDS Wealth Strategies and heads the LINK”d group, said he participated in Clean Sweep Columbus because he wants to raise a family in a clean city.
“That”s a big incentive,” he said. “To make the ”Friendly City” friendly again.”
Spears, along with other young professionals, city firefighters and others, painted the walls circling the Magnolia Bowl, which he hopes will eventually be turned into an auditorium.
“This is definitely kind of the jewel of what we”re trying to do here today,” Spears said, looking over the freshly painted walls.
Other volunteers — people from different walks of life from all over Columbus — walked the streets picking up litter and debris from the Friday storm. In 2010, teams collected more than 1,000 pounds of waste and debris.
Among the groups that cleared roads this year was the Columbus High School social club Les Soeurs Toujours, which is French for “Sisters Forever.”
One of the co-ed club”s 15 members, 18-year-old senior Hagan Walker, said Clean Sweep was important because it gave people the opportunity to show their hometown pride.
“We want to take pride in our community for ourselves and for the people visiting,” he said.
The event also allowed the club to serve as an example to other young people, Walker said.
“We”re serving our community,” he said. “You usually don”t see teenagers out cleaning up trash at 9 in the morning.”
The group Walker was a part of had cleared Ridge Road by 10 a.m. and was about to start on Tuscaloosa Road.
Volunteers also mulched and planted flower beds in community parks.
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