Hampton officials seek 100 volunteers for annual clean-up day

About 100 volunteers would be ideal for Hampton’s annual litter/cleanup day, March 30.

This would be quite a jump from last year’s 30-some participants, but the need is there, especially with the amount of trash they’ve collected in years past, according to Township Manager Christopher Lochner.

“You would be surprised how many full-size garbage bags, along with tires, car parts and construction materials we pick up,” Lochner said.

The cleanup day kicks off at the community center on McCully Road at 8 a.m. and lasts until noon. Participants do not need to stay for the entire four hours, according to the township website.

Last year, volunteers filled more than 150 full-size garbage bags with trash.

Lochner also reported there were about 20 tires, numerous pieces of car parts from accidents that weren’t picked up and construction materials, mainly wood and aluminum siding.

Collections are usually done on the township’s heavily-traveled, main connector roadways, such as McCully, South Pioneer, Ferguson and Wildwood roads, as well Duncan Avenue and Mt. Royal Boulevard, Lochner said.

It’s a great way for Hampton’s high school students to earn their required community hours each year, he said.

Volunteers of all ages can learn about how littering is a real problem as they’ll witness how much trash is thrown on the roadways, according to Bill McWilliams, who participated in the event last year with the Hampton Rotary Club.

He also brought his grandson, Iszyk Tran, 11, to help.

“Even from his standpoint, he was amazed and enlightened what people throw out,” McWilliams said.

He and his grandson, both of Hampton, will be collecting again this year. McWilliams said Tran, now in fifth grade, also enjoyed working alongside the fire and police members who were also present. And it was good to be around fellow community members who are proactive about caring for their community, he said.

Lochner said the event will go on rain or shine, as long as the weather’s not too inclement.

All participants are requested to sign a release form, which can be found on the township website. This helps them know how to schedule cleanup areas. Volunteers younger than 18 are required to have a parent or guardian sign the form.

Hampton will provide safety vests, gloves and bags, Lochner said.

The most common things they collected in the past were beverage containers, especially beer cans and plastic bottles. Also, they had a lot of chewing tobacco spit into plastic bottles. The most bizarre items collected were women’s underwear — bras in particular, he said.

Overall, Lochner expressed amazement and disappointment in the amount of items people just simply toss to the side of the road.

He said it’s really a worthwhile and effective event, and youths should try to be involved annually.

“Believe me, if they saw firsthand the amount of trash and garbage that is discarded along road ways — they would never litter again,” he said.

Hampton Township High School students must commit at least 10 hours of community service per year, 40 in total, for graduation requirements, according to the school district’s website. Lochner suggested it would be a great if the district would require about three hours of that for litter cleanup, specifically.

McWilliams said he really hopes more people sign up for this important event, especially since it’s an eye-opener on litter accumulation.

“People need to know,” he said.

For details and to register, visit Hampton Township’s website at hampton-pa.org.