PORTSMOUTH—Friends of Portsmouth will host a spring cleanup day to beautify downtown this Saturday, May 21.
Bryan Smith, Executive Director of Friends of Portsmouth, is eager to see community members get involved in the cleanup effort.
“We plan on going over here on the riverbank here at the Court St. landing, on Front St. and on 2nd St. to do some weed pulling and picking up trash, just to make things look nice and pretty for the summer. We are going to focus on Market St. too, pulling weeds out of the tree beds and replacing them with the mulch that Main Street Portsmouth has donated. So we will make things look nice there, too,” Smith said.
These beautification efforts are a way for Smith and Friends of Portsmouth to continue to engage with community volunteers in order to give back to the hometown they love. And with volunteers still needed for the cleanup day, Smith said help from the community would be greatly appreciated.
“We want to make sure people know that they can come to Patties and Pints [the morning of the cleanup]. That is where we will start everyone out. We will have a Friends of Portsmouth tent set up where they can come and get gloves, trash bags, and any other tools that might be necessary,” he said.
From there, volunteers will be directed to an area for cleanup. Since supplies are provided, all a volunteer needs to bring is a strong sense of community and a good eye for spotting litter.
The cleanup day will begin at 9 a.m. and will wrap up around noon. Smith shared with good weather promised in the forecast, it’s the perfect day to get the whole family involved in the community’s efforts.
“We will not turn anybody away. Anybody at all is welcome to come down. A lot of times parents bring their kids down, and we’ve got gloves that will fit them, too. It’s always cool to have them come out,” Smith said.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but Smith especially loves to see younger generations giving back to their community in meaningful ways.
“[Community service] is such a huge thing for all the local nonprofits. We all rely on volunteers. And it’s really cool when you can teach younger children what that value means. Then as we get to them growing up as adults and young adults, they’ll still continue on with that volunteerism and understand how important it is,” said Smith.
As Friends of Portsmouth looks ahead to summer, Smith wants the community to know that big things are on the horizon with regard to summer entertainment. He hopes that community members will be eager to join in on the festivities as well.
“The next big thing will be July 4th at Spartan Stadium. We will do our fireworks and have everything set up inside the stadium: all the rides, inflatables, food trucks, and all the cool things,” Smith said.
For now, the cleanup day will provide downtown with the care and attention it needs to welcome residents into a fun-filled summer in Portsmouth, and Smith hopes to see lots of new faces there to help out.
“I look for a beautiful day and a good turnout, and we will all get downtown ready for summer,” he added.
For more updates and information, visit Friends of Portsmouth on Facebook or on their website at friendsofportsmouth.com. Patties and Pints, the starting location of the cleanup, is located at 546 2nd Street in Portsmouth.
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