Keep Dawson County Beautiful in partnership with Etowah Water and Sewer and the Dawson County Woman’s Club is proud to present “Cleaning Spring” as part of the 2011 Great American Clean Up.

Volunteers are encouraged to form two- to four-person teams for a friendly competition on April 13. The event aims to free Dawson County roads of litter, while preserving the environment through recycling. A $20 entry fee is required, per team.

“This will be a great event, which allows the citizens and the business community to come together to clean the county,” said Etowah Water and Sewer Authority General Manager Brooke Anderson.  “A little competition never hurts either.”

To date, teams representing the City of Dawsonville, Kiwanis, READ and Jaycees have already signed up.

Groups will meet at the Dawson County Transfer Station and Recycling Center located at 946 Burt Creek Road at 9 a.m. to check in, gather supplies, then venture out into the county to clean roads while separating out recyclables.

Points are awarded to teams for various materials collected. 

“For instance, a bag of plastic bottles is worth 50 points, but a tire is worth 75 points,” said Keep Dawson County Beautiful Executive Director Cathy Brooks.

“Teams will return to the recycling center at 11:30 a.m. where they will be rewarded for their efforts with prizes for most points, most unique item recovered, and most difficult to recover,” Brooks said. “They will also be treated to lunch fresh off the grill.”

The Great American Cleanup is an annual event started in 1999 by Keep America Beautiful. Each year, Georgians have worked to improve communities by picking up litter in parks and roadways, planting trees and flowers to beautify public spaces, painting over graffiti, repairing local homes and businesses, and holding recycling drives and workshops.

Another Great American Clean Up event, Electronics Recycling Day, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 23 in the Walmart parking lot.

Dawson County residents may bring personal computers, printers, monitors, stereo equipment, radios, telephones, circuit boards, fax machines and many other electronic items.  A complete list of acceptable items can be found at www.dawsoncounty.org.

To sign up for “Cleaning Spring” or for more information, contact Cathy Brooks at (706) 344-3501, Ext. 255 or e-mail cbrooks@dawsoncounty.