Assemblyman William Colton (D-Bensonhurst, Bath Beach), City Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst) and Democratic District Leaders Charles Ragusa and Nancy Tong traded in their business suits and ties for rubber gloves and dungarees over the weekend to host a neighborhood Clean-up event around Bensonhurst and 86th Street.
This event was the first of the year as a part of the lawmakers annual “Speak-Up & Clean-Up” campaign to help better our community. About 200 neighborhood volunteers, including a number of youngsters joined the effort to emphasize the need to keep the community beautiful and clean.
“Our ‘Speak-Up and Clean-Up’ campaign’s main goal is to spread the word and keep promoting the importance of cleaning our community and keeping it clean. With the growing group of volunteers, I see many returning faces along with new ones. This is a very good sign that all these young people feel the necessity to be involved in the neighborhood,” said Colton.
Treyger, a former public school teacher, who has played an integral role in emphasizing the importance of a community effort.
“Every New Yorker deserves safe, clean streets, which are a sign of a thriving, caring and welcoming community. It has been great to see so many teens and community members get involved and give back and it has had a tremendous impact on our neighborhood. We must continue with the same determination that has gotten us this far to make sure our neighborhoods can remain clean,” said Treyger.
The group of volunteers each set off on a different route set up by Kenny Zheng, president of the Young Democrats of South Brooklyn, who contacted the students and volunteers through email, phone, and social media.
“As we continue to grow these clean-up events, more volunteers get a chance to be involved in cleaning the community and serving as role models for the rest of the community. We want to remove the litter, properly exercise recycling habits, and spread the message to keep our neighborhood clean and beautiful. Thank you to all the volunteers and especially all the elected officials for participating in this wonderful event,” said Zheng.
The streets that were cleaned included 86th Street between 14 Avenue and 26 Avenue, Bay Parkway between 82nd Street and Shore Parkway, Benson Avenue between 18 Avenue and 24 Avenue, Bath Avenue between 18 Avenue and 24 Avenue, and 18th Avenue between 84th Street and Bath Avenue.
The list of volunteers included students from different groups including Stuyvesant High School’s Key Club and Red Cross, Brooklyn Tech High School’s Key Club, Red Cross, and Outreach, Murrow High School’s Key Club, Midwood High School’s Key Club, Staten Island Tech’s Key Club, and James Madison High School’s Key Club, among others.
The Department of Sanitation supplied tools, gloves, and trash bags to assist with the clean-up effort. All volunteers received community service hours and enjoyed free refreshments in appreciation of their work.
