September 9th - September 16th, 2023
All participants please register using the form below!
thank you for 20 years of action!
When?
Saturday, September 9, 2023
8:30am - 2pm
Where?
6th Street Park, Grand Rapids
(647 Monroe Ave NW)
On Saturday, September 9th, 2023, a few hundred stewards collected at Sixth Street Park in Grand Rapids for a misty morning of community action. Our volunteers brought their enthusiasm and camaraderie for cleaning up the banks of the Grand River. The WMEAC team is deeply thankful for those who were able to join us for the Mayors’ Kickoff and to the groups who participated in the week-long Grand River Cleanup Campaign. We are looking forward to seeing you all next year for another celebration of water, life, and the love that connects the two.
1 week
500+ volunteers
6 participating cities
7,200+ lbs of trash removed
35 sites and 12+ miles of river cleaned
... 1 lime scooter
SAVE THE DATE for the upcoming 21st annual Grand River cleanup:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2024
Sponsorships
+ Vendor sign up
Become a Sponsor
To sponsor The Cleanup, contact Director of Development Sharlene Kipfer at skipfer@wmeac.org or (616) 451-3051, extension 124.
Become a vendor
If you’re interested in having an information table at our Kick Off Event, email Abby Carlson at mayorscleanup@wmeac.org
GRAND RIVER CLEANUP CAMPAIGN
SAT, SEPTEMBER 9TH - SAT, SEPTEMBER 16TH
If you can’t join us on September 9th for our Kickoff, there are still plenty of ways to stay involved with Michigan’s largest river cleanup! You can:
- Adopt one of our Cleanup Sites with a group of 5 of more volunteers.
- Stop by the WMEAC office during our campaign to receive FREE trash bags and gloves to clean up your street, sidewalk, or storm drain at home.
- Attend the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds’ Jamboree and sign up to receive a WMEAC rain barrel for your home.
- Sponsor our Cleanup and receive the many benefits of becoming a WMEAC Business Member.
ADOPT A CLEANUP SITE WITH A GROUP!
Do you have a group of friends, neighbors, or coworkers that you would like to volunteer with? Groups of 5 or more people are able to adopt a Cleanup Site from our curated Cleanup Site Map! These are locations where you can likely spend 1 – 2 hours with 5 – 10 people cleaning up trash. Some Cleanup Sites are along the Grand River itself, many sites are along a stream that connects to the Grand River in a public park or green space. Some sites are not family-friendly and are located under bridges, train tracks, highway overpasses, or have other hazards such as steep banks or poison ivy present.
Site adoption for the 2024 Grand River Cleanup will open Monday, August 28th, 2024
Stop by the WMEAC office or any other location with the glove icon to pick up FREE trash bags, disposable gloves, and other materials for your clean up.
WMEAC Cleanup Supply Hub
During our Cleanup Campaign, WMEAC will provide FREE supplies to all registered volunteers! Stop by our office and grab your disposable gloves, heavy-duty trash bags, containers for sharp objects, and a Cleanup t-shirt! Supplies for groups that adopt a sites will be available after Labor Day on September 3rd, 2024.
You can pick up your supplies and souvenirs at our Grand Rapids office: 1007 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids MI 49506
If you need to arrange a supply pick up outside of business hours (10 am – 5 pm) please contact us at mayorscleanup@wmeac.org with details.
be a trash Scout
Do you know a spot in your community that is contaminated with trash? Recruit the help of our WMEAC volunteers and Cleanup Crew!!
These locations do not have to be along a river. Many of our streets, sidewalks, and storm drains will bring pollution like trash, microplastics, salt, and oil directly into our rivers. This “first flush” of pollution can happen as quickly as 15 minutes after it begins to rain! Trash often collects near bridges, riverside trails, boat launches, overpasses, rail road crossings, and in industrial areas.
Reach out to Kyle at khart@wmeac.org to have the location highlighted on our Google Story Map. Or you can adopt the site with a group and WMEAC will provide you with free clean up supplies and try to arrange trash removal services with your City’s Department of Public Works.
LOWER GRAND RIVER ORGANIZATION OF WATERSHEDS' JAMBOREE & RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP
Stop by Legacy Park on Saturday, September 16th, 2023 for family-friendly activities and live music. The Jamboree is a celebration that highlights water quality improvements and recognizes the watershed groups that are working to improve the Lower Grand River Watershed. For more information about the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds you can visit their site at lgrow.org
WMEAC will be hosting a Rain Barrel Workshop at the Jamboree and spots are limited! If you have ever been interested in saving money on water while preventing flooding on your property- a rain barrel is an easy and efficient solution. WMEAC staff will lead you through how to construct a 55-gallon plastic drum into a container for rainwater that has been collected by your downspout.
Click here for more information about WMEAC’s Rain Barrel Workshop program and other ways to manage stormwater on your property. Workshop registration will open soon!
Sponsors
Grand River
Rotary Club of GR
GM Holdings
SMG/Devos Convention Center
City of GR - Office of Equity & Engagement
Mobile GR
Blue Bridge
Spectrum Health
Key Green Solutions
OST
Tributaries
Covanta
Foresight Management
Fusion Financial
GR Public Museum
Mark Huizenga Systems Consulting
Schrem’s Trout Unlimited
River's Edge
