VALDOSTA — After having to reschedule Rivers Alive due to Hurricane Michael conditions, KLVB had no problem in combining it with Make a Difference Day.

The two cleanup events were combined Saturday morning, with more than 180 volunteers working 11 different sites.

It was the most sites Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful volunteers have ever worked in one day, said Aaron Strickland, KLVB executive director.

“We’re always striving to make a larger impact and to outdo ourselves every year,” Strickland said. “I think we’ve done that with this event.”

The volunteers spent the morning picking up bulk trash and litter around rivers, ditches, parks and neighborhoods.

The sites were spread out in the city, county and everywhere in between. Some were at the public works department, some were in Hahira and others were in neighborhoods, such as one down Wisenbaker Lane.

Volunteers could be seen in reflective, orange vests walking with trash bags and grabbers collecting everything from old tires to fast-food cups and wrappers.

Strickland said it’s always nice seeing community members volunteer for these events because it shows people genuinely care about the place they live and the way it looks.

“We’re just doing what we can to help make the biggest impact in our community,” Strickland said. “We want to help improve the quality of life and make everyone proud of where they live.”

Since 2000, when Strickland joined KLVB, the organization has collected 2.6 million pounds of trash through its efforts and hosts several events throughout the year.

Rivers Alive is an annual water cleanup event that takes place across Georgia, and Make a Difference Day is a national day of service made up of various volunteers and organizations.

KLVB’s Rivers Alive and Make a Difference Day events were conducted with the help of City of Valdosta, City of Hahira and Lowndes County.

KLVB’s next big event will be the fall electronics recycling event Nov. 17. Visit klvb.net for more information. 

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.