Great American Cleanup of Mansfield Set for May 2

After the snowiest February on record, it’s hard to imagine that within the next several weeks, the snowbanks will melt and the grass will begin to grow. And when the snow is finally gone, it will reveal an ugly truth: litter remains a problem in Massachusetts.

With the first warm days of spring approaching, that means one thing for civic-minded residents and business owners in Mansfield: it’s time to register for the 8th annual Great American Cleanup of Mansfield.

This year’s cleanup will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., rain or shine, followed a celebration lunch for volunteers at the Xfinity Center. At last year’s cleanup, nearly 700 volunteers, including groups from the boy scouts, girl scouts, local churches, community groups, and businesses, removed several hundred bags of litter from roadsides, parks, and school grounds.

“After the long snowy winter we’ve had, we can be sure that once the snow melts, there will be plenty of litter that needs to get cleaned up,” said Neil Rhein, executive director of Keep Mansfield Beautiful. “We’re counting on Mansfield residents, businesses, and community groups to once again step up and help us out on May 2.”

The deadline for registering for the Great American Cleanup of Mansfield is April 20. The first 500 people to register will receive free tee shirts. Volunteers can sign up at www.keepmansfieldbeautiful.com or at the Parks & Recreation Department at Mansfield Town Hall.

To cover the expense of running the annual cleanup, Keep Mansfield Beautiful is also seeking financial donations from local businesses and residents.

Mansfield’s event is part of a nationwide cleanup effort led by Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest community improvement program. Locally, North Attleboro and Foxborough are also planning litter cleanup events this spring.