KINGSPORT — More than 80 volunteers converged on the Riverview neighborhood Saturday for the annual Riverview Trash Cleanup, the 24th year of trash collection in the neighborhood.
The volunteers included a group from the Brownies, New Vision Youth, Kingsport Public Works, area churches and members of the D-B Environmental Club.
The event is the first of several planned throughout the city as a part of Keep Kingsport Beautiful’s participation in the statewide “Trashercise” campaign.
The day began with some stretching exercises offered by Healthy Kingsport, including muscle stretching and toning, Even though each volunteer was given a handy pick-up device that acts like a grabber, gloves, and trash bags, lifting all the garbage is a good workout. They also wore reflective vests to protect while crossing the streets against motorists, and to identify themselves as they retrieved garbage from neighbor yards and lawns.
Once the calisthenics were completed, "good and warmed up" volunteers fanned out in all directions picking up discarded paper and plastic items, even broken glass.
More than 1.3 tons of trash was collected and delivered to Kingsport Public Works trucks, compared to more than 2 tons from previous years. Among the garbage were brush and metal items, including an old discarded fire extinguisher.
Participants were treated to lunch after the trash collection.
Among the many discarded items retrieved by volunteers, included some dangerous items like broken glass and an old abandoned fire extinguisher.
