Detroit officials urge residents to get involved in annual Motor City Makeover

 

Detroiters, it’s that time again: an opportunity to spruce up the city’s neighborhoods and parks.

City officials announced plans Thursday for the Motor City Makeover, an annual spring-cleaning extravaganza that calls on volunteers to help make Detroit shine.

The beautification efforts will split the city into three sectors. East-siders will clean on April 28; west-siders on May 12, and those in southwest Detroit, downtown and the central neighborhoods will volunteer on May 19.

“You know the financial stress the city is under,” Deputy Mayor Kirk Lewis said Thursday, speaking from Balduck Park on the city’s east side. “We will continue to find creative ways to fund things that are really important to our youth and our senior citizens.”

City officials are reaching out to foundations and corporations to help pay for the spring-cleaning program.

Residents are being asked to clean up around their homes, adopt a block to help clean or be assigned to a park or other area in need of attention.

The city also is working with Detroit Public Schools in an effort to recruit volunteers. Students will compete to sign up as many volunteers as they can in the hopes of winning the grand prize: an iPad 2 and lunch with an undisclosed special guest. There are a total of 18 student prizes, including a laptop and other monetary gift cards.

The school that recruits the most volunteers will win a $300 Home Depot gift card to be used for a school project.

“The mayor wanted students to be active in this process,” said Frazier Kimpson, director of community affairs for the mayor’s office. “This is an opportunity to teach young people about how you take care of and build a neighborhood.”

Contact Suzette Hackney:             313-222-6678       or shackney@freepress.com

More Details: To volunteer

Volunteers — individuals, corporations and community groups — must register with one of the city’s Community Access Centers. By registering, residents will receive a limited supply of bags and gloves and information on special pickup of bagged litter and roll-off containers. Volunteers also will be able to take trash to one of five drop-off locations.

For information, call             313-224-3450       or go to www.detroitmi.gov.