25th Anniversary: Great American Clean Up

Approximately 200 volunteers participated in the Great American Clean Up (GAC) on Saturday, May 18th. This year marked the 25th Anniversary of Glendale's Great American Clean Up which started in 1988 as Glendale’s Great Graffiti Paint Out and Community Clean Up Day. This community service event was developed to engage the community in addressing the problem of graffiti throughout the city. Through the years, graffiti became less prolific and other beautification components were added such as weed abatement projects on remnant parcels which later evolved into the construction of community gardens on some of the same remnant parcels.  

In 2002, the city became a Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Affiliate and changed the name of the National Great American Clean Up, when millions of volunteers across the United States conduct thousands of community services projects throughout the Nation. The Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale and the Community Development Department partner each year with local sponsors to host the event. This year's top level sponsors include The Walt Disney Company, Glendale Water and Power, Glendale Public Works and the Glendale Association of Realtors. 

Volunteers from Glendale and the surrounding communities gathered on the 100th block of North Isabel Street in front of the Glendale Police Station early in the morning to receive their beautification assignments and to enjoy a free continental breakfast. After a short rally they took to the streets of Glendale to help remove weeds and junk from blighted areas, plant gardens, pick up litter, remove graffiti and more.

Great American Clean Up volunteers helped the Friends of the LA River with their annual LA River Clean Up.  

AYAC volunteers helped build a student garden at Wilson Middle School.  

The Glendale Tornadoes came out in full force to help pick up litter throughout the City.

Several volunteers helped paint over graffiti in various pedestrian tunnels throughout the City.

After the projects were completed, volunteers returned to the rally site for a free barbecue lunch, cooked up by the Jewel City Kiwanis Club, Great American Clean Up "Birthday Cake." The Cigarette Butt Derby winners were also announced during lunch. The Cigarette Butt Derby consists of volunteer teams who race to pick the most discarded cigarette butts as possible to keep them from entering storm drains and polluting our waterways. 

3rd Place Winner representing the Glendale Tornadoes.

2nd Place Winner representing the People to People Program.

1st Place Winners of the Cigarette Butt Derby, the Luna Family & Friends.

The Great American Clean Up is one of several community events and programs operated by the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale and the Community Development Department. For more information about the programs and projects of the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, contact Sandra Rodriguez at (818) 937-8313.

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