On Saturday, Keep Alamogordo Beautiful, the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, and NMDOT District Two held a “Community Cleanup” event along the Charles Lee Memorial Relief Route that runs the length of the City of Alamogordo, where citizens helped clean up 4,000 pounds (two tons) of trash.
According to a press release from the City of Alamogordo, “The event saw approximately 150 volunteers provide a total of 300 volunteer hours, which totals $7,407 in volunteer labor. Community members, clubs, and businesses alike all came out as they saw a need for litter eradication. Some of these clubs and businesses include: Thrive in Southern New Mexico, Boys and Girls Clubs of Otero County, the Rotary Club of White Sands, Pioneer Bank, Tularosa Communications, TDS, Zuni Electric, and Airmen with Holloman Air Force Base.”
“Being a local business owner who was born and raised here, I’ve seen the growing need for litter removal along our byways. We live in a great community, but we need to help change the mindsets/culture surrounding litter. We need to remind folks to bag their trash, tie it down, and be more responsible,” said Rodney Eaton, President of Zuni Electric Inc.
“As a nation, $9.1 Billion is spent annually by businesses to remove unsightly litter. The presence of litter can reduce the value of a property by a little over 7%, and 36% of business development officials say that litter impacts the decision to locate to a community,” reads the press release.
“It is our job as community members to limit the lasting footprint we each leave on our community’s environment,” says Josh Sides, Keep Alamogordo Beautiful Program Coordinator. “The Community Cleanup was a much-needed injection of adrenaline to the heart of volunteerism here in Alamogordo. It is important we all do our part to make, and ultimately keep, Alamogordo a clean, green, and more beautiful place. I cannot thank the Alamogordo community enough for the tremendous show of support exhibited on Saturday during the Community Cleanup. This is the first of many to come.”
“Adopt-A-Highway volunteers take tremendous pride in keeping New Mexico looking beautiful,” said District Two Maintenance Engineer Francesco Sanchez. “During these challenging financial times as we all try to maintain our highway assets with fewer funds, we rely on volunteers to help us keep our New Mexico roads clean and beautiful.”
The volunteers helped clean up nearly seven miles of roadway and around 4,000 pounds of trash, equating to 450 bags of trash were collected.
The community cleanup event is a shining example of New Mexicans coming together to brighten their communities despite challenging circumstances facing the state and the nation.