Oct. 23 was the fourth annual Team Up 2 Clean Up by the South Lansing Business Association.
Thirty to 40 people gathered at the St. Michael’s Episcopal Church parking lot to sign in and put on their yellow vests and gloves. Some of the helpers even tied their plastic bags to their pants so it wouldn’t fly away in the wind.
“We are here to clean up Southeast Lansing,” said Tina Houghton.
Houghton, who is on the board for the South Lansing Business Association, has helped organize this event yearly and has been very hands on with the cleaning.
South Lansing Business Association holds a clean up for the community once in the spring and again in the fall. The goal is to get local businesses to help come out and clean the area.
“Four years ago we had our council members as some of the only people that would help clean, now we have over 30 to 40 people depending on if we are having a nice day,” Houghton said.
Some people enjoy the work it’s a nice change of pace from a long weekly grind of a desk job. Shamus Smith said the cleanup is a nice change of pace from his normal work from advising on the SLBA. Smith is a board member of the South Lansing Business Association.
When the volunteers arrive they sign in as they talk to other residents about where they will clean today.
“It’s important for us to clean our community,” Smith said. “When people visit and they see a clean area they will want to come back and spend money at our local businesses.”
Sandy Wrigglesworth is one of the residents who helped pick up trash on Oct 23. She even brought her handy claw that helps her pick up trash.
“It’s great for an old woman like me who can’t really bend over to grab things anymore,” said Wrigglesworth.
Wrigglesworth has been to every clean up for the in the South Lansing area. Her goal is for the business association to reach the younger generation.
“It’s our job as a community to reach the younger generation and get them involved with the cleanup and the community,” said Wrigglesworth.