Osceola County – Earth Day is just around the corner. For those of you who do not know the story behind Earth Day, the national day of observance was the brainchild of United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who called for the first Earth Day to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated in that first event, and it is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. Since its inauguration, Earth Day has become the largest secular holiday in the world.
Designated as a day of volunteer clean-ups around the country and around the world, Osceola County intends to do its part to join in. Osceola officials have teamed up with the Toho Water Authority to hold the first community-wide volunteer event called “Keep Osceola Beautiful”. The event, the first of its kind for Osceola County, encourages all community members to volunteer their time this year on Earth Day to help clean up the litter and trash throughout various areas of the county.
“Keep Osceola Beautiful” is slated to take place on Saturday, April 21st from 8am to 2pm. Multiple clean-up activities are scheduled throughout the County, with all citizens encouraged to participate in the event. Clean-up areas include various lakes and roadways throughout the county. Additionally, tree plantings will take place in several locations across Osceola County.
Starting at 8am, individual or groups of volunteers are invited to start their clean-up activities. To make things easy, projects are already lined up for groups and individuals – from roadside and lake litter pick-ups to tree plantings. Or, volunteers can choose to clean an area of their choice. Once completed, all volunteers will be invited to Chisholm Park off of Highway 15 in Narcoossee for a free lunch and the first Earth Day Fair. The fair, to be held from 10am to 2pm, will feature vendor booths, games, a dunk tank and other fun ways to learn more about the environment and what people can do to protect it.
“Litter is a problem in Osceola County. But the good news is that it’s a problem we can all work together to eliminate,” said Commissioner Ken Smith. “It is imperative that we strive to preserve our natural beauty and protect our home, Osceola County.”
Citizens wishing to volunteer are required to register in order to participate in the free lunch. Volunteers will also receive a free wristband and T-Shirt as they remain available.
To get involved, go online to www.osceola.org and click on the “Keep Osceola Beautiful” link to the left for more information and to register. Or you can simply call the Osceola County Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.