Jack Sedlak cleanup in Monroeville makes a comeback in 2021

Monroeville’s annual litter cleanup event came roaring back after an abnormal year in 2020.

The 26^th annual Jack Sedlak Clean-Up Day brought around 450 volunteers on April 24 who together collected more than 1,000 bags of litter, 40 tires and seven televisions. Volunteers were able to cover several roads, including Monroeville and Mosside boulevards, Tilbrook Road, Old William Penn Highway and Route 22.

“We found some car batteries out there this time around, too,” said Joe Sedlak, the municipality’s human resources director and open records officer, who helps out with planning the annual event.

The event was named after Joe’s father, Jack Sedlak, a former Monroeville councilman who envisioned a cleaner community. He died of cancer in 1995.

“It’s nice that (the event) honors my father,” Sedlak said. “But it would have been more important to him to see people out cleaning more than anything else. He wasn’t one to look for notoriety, he just wanted to get people out doing things. To see 450 people out cleaning the side of the road, that would have been enough for him. He would have been overjoyed to see that.”

Last year’s event still happened, but it was postponed until late August because of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. And the event didn’t feature an after-cleanup picnic. The prizes were also done virtually.

Still, Sedlak said, last year’s event still drew around 230 people. But there was less garbage to pick up with only 310 bags of litter and 10 tires.

“It was later in the year, when you have the grass growing much higher. And people were not out and about as much, so maybe that’s why you didn’t see as much garbage,” he said of 2020’s event.

Mayor Nick Gresock, who participated in the event, said he was worried about the event drawing enough volunteers to pick up the litter because of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.

“But our numbers were really high, and it’s definitely a testament to how many people want to come out and help their community and do something that’s a positive for the community,” Gresock said in a video produced of the event.