On April 15, about 35 volunteers will gather along the riverfront in Reading to remove trash, repair launch areas, paint benches and plant bulbs along the Schuylkill River Trail.

The effort has been organized by Timberland Outlet, in Vanity Fair Outlet Center. Their plan is to beautify the area surrounding the river in time for the Canoe Flotilla that is scheduled for April 21.

“Primarily what we’re doing is cleaning up along the trail and river so that when the canoes come down the area looks pretty,” said Timberland Outlet Manager Denise Pietrobono.

In addition to employees, students from Reading Area Community College and about 10 boy scouts will participate, as well as members of the general public.

Beginning at 9 a.m., volunteers will congregate at the red sculpture at Riverfront Park, south of Reading Area Community College. They’ll clean an area from the Bingaman Street Bridge to the Buttonwood Street Bridge. They’ll also clean the Schuylkill River Trail from the RACC Bridge to Craig’s Bridge, where they will pull weeds and plant bulbs.

The Schuylkill River Trail south of RACC is owned and managed by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

“As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on the support of dedicated volunteers to help maintain the trail for all users,” said SRHA Trail Steward Kara Wilson. “Events like Earth Day highlight the role and importance of volunteers in managing these valuable community resources, and shine a spotlight on opportunities for people to volunteer in their communities. The participation of organizations like Timberland recognizes their commitment to the communities they operate in and supplements and enhances the work of our permanent volunteer teams who work on the trail all year round.”

They plan to hold the event rain or shine, working until 3:00 p.m. painting benches, removing graffiti and picking up trash.

Anyone interested in joining the effort should meet at the red sculpture at 9 a.m. on April 15, or contact Mark or Denise at 610-375-8489.

Link: Join In the Great PA Cleanup!

4/6/2007