Be Beautiful Downtown Cleanup Set for May 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007

For more information, contact:
Maria K. Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-3569

[image:1793,left]Bloomington, IN -- Mayor Mark Kruzan invites everybody to help celebrate May as Be Beautiful Bloomington month by joining the City and [Downtown Bloomington Inc. (DBI)|http://www.downtownbloomington.com/] in participating in the second annual downtown Bloomington cleanup. The event will take place Tuesday morning, May 1 (with May 2 as the rain date).

"Bloomington is a beautiful community and keeping it that way is a team effort," Kruzan said. "Downtown is everyone's neighborhood, and having City staffers and volunteers from the public, local businesses and our higher education institutions working together to clean and beautify downtown is the Bloomington spirit."

During the Be Beautiful downtown cleanup last year, more than 60 volunteers discarded about 1,000 pounds of litter. This year, the goal is to have at least 100 participants help with cleaning along the B-Line Trail and downtown from 3rd to 12th Streets between Indiana Avenue and Morton Street.

The cleanup will involve discarding litter, removing graffiti, painting, planting and mulching. City staffers will lead the cleanup teams and provide the necessary tools and equipment. Volunteer registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the City Hall Atrium, 401 N. Morton, and the cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. - noon in the downtown area. Participants will receive an event T-shirt courtesy of supporters Irwin Union Bank, CFC Inc., DBI, Noodles and Company and XPrintwear and Promotions. Also, free to-go lunches will be provided afterward by Noodles and Company to the first 100 participants. People can enjoy their lunch at People's Park where the City's Parks and Recreation Department is holding a free concert featuring acoustic musical artists Davis and Devitt.

Businesses and individuals can get involved by calling Sue Owens at 349-3468 or e-mailing her at [owenss@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:owenss@bloomington.in.gov] to sign up. Volunteers will join helpers from DBI, Irwin Union Bank, CFC Incorporated, Ivy Tech, the City of Bloomington and the public.

For additional information please visit [http://www.bloomington.in.gov] or call the Be Bloomington hotline at 349-BBBB.