Rotarians clean-up Rockford neighbourhood

More than 20 pairs of orange gloves and yellow trash bags could be seen along the streets of west Rockford on September 25. Members of the northern Illinois Rotary Clubs alongside the West Gateway Coalition, participated in the Sidewalk to Sidewalk cleanup project. The groups led the effort to pick up trash and litter alongside more than 100 blocks of sidewalk around Lewis Lemon School and Andrews Park.
“Where there’s a need, where there’s an opportunity for service, where people need help, locally, regionally or anywhere in the world, that’s where Rotary steps in,” said Richard Rivkin, governor of Rotary District 6440, which covers northeastern Illinois and Chicagoland. “This area has been identified by local community organizations and the local Rotary club, and they said this is where we can make a difference. So that’s what we’re here to do.”
Volunteers began cleaning trash at 1 p.m., and continued until 3 p.m., despite the rain. Bob Esmond, president of the West Gateway Coalition said the cleanup was a success.
“Everyone said they had a lot of good engagement with the residents, some of them bringing us bottles of water as we worked,” Esmond said. “It was really a positive experience for everyone.”