09-27-94 Clean Up Scheduled for Saturday

"HIGH ON PRIDE," UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP IS SATURDAY

     COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University volunteers will join with
local residents and business people in a giant clean-up project
in the neighborhood east of the university on Saturday, Oct. 1.

     From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., students, faculty, staff, residents
and other volunteers will pick up litter, remove bulk trash,
sweep streets and sidewalks, collect recyclables, remove dead
brush and otherwise clean up the streets, alleys and other public
areas in the neighborhood bordered by High Street on the west,
Fourth Street on the east, Norwich Avenue on the north, and Ninth
Avenue on the south.

     Tina Sullivan Love, director of Ohio State's Office of
Student Life and chair of the organizing committee, said her
group hopes to have at least 1,000 persons participating in the
event, which has been tagged "High on Pride."

     "We are looking at this as an event with two purposes," she
said.  "First, by cleaning up we want make this a safer, more
pleasant place for all who live, work and visit here.  But, also
very important, we want to help build a sense of belonging among
the students, residents, faculty and staff.  In the process of
removing trash, we want to instill the kind of pride and
ownership that leads to a closer community."

     The Clean Up project was initiated by Ohio State President
E. Gordon Gee as part of the university's ongoing effort to
improve the quality of life in the areas surrounding the Columbus
campus.  Gee will be one of the High on Pride volunteers.  He is
scheduled to arrive around 12:30 p.m., following the completion
of the University Senate meeting at which he is delivering the
annual president's "state of the university" speech.  Columbus
Mayor Greg Lashutka is also planning to make an appearance to
show his support and will arrive earlier in the morning.

     Volunteers are being asked to commit to two-hour shifts,
beginning at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.  The Clean Up area covers
two-thirds of a square mile, some 26 miles of sidewalks and
curblines, and 12 miles of alleyways.  It has been divided into
25 sections, each to be tackled by teams of 10 or more volunteers
per shift who will pick up litter, sort out the recylcable
materials, strip flyers from utility poles, sweep up broken
glass, remove dead brush, and identify bulk items for pick up by
truck.

     Volunteers will report to the registration area at the plaza
in front of the Wexner Center for the Arts for their assignments.
Early morning volunteers can help themselves to coffee, juice and
donuts before heading out to work.  Radio station WWCD will
broadcast from the plaza area all day, providing music and public
address announcements.

     All volunteers are invited to return to the Wexner plaza for
a post-Clean Up celebration from 2 to 4 p.m.  At that time, free
pizza, hot dogs, fruit, soft drinks, and ice cream will be served
and there will be live music.  All food and entertainment have
been donated.  Sponsors include Mid-America Waste Systems, Roth
Produce Co., Papa John's Pizza, Marriott Food Service, Sanese
Services, the Kroger Co., and the Office of Residence and Dining
Halls.

     In addition, all volunteers are eligible to win prizes
donated by local sponsors.  Prizes include a MacIntosh computer
donated by the Ohio State University Bookstores; two round-trip
airplane tickets to anywhere in the contiguous United States
donated by University Travel Management; and numerous other items
provided by Streetside Discs and Cassettes, the Wexner Center for
the Arts, the Department of Athletics and the Office of the
President.

     In addition, student groups are competing with each other
for highest participation rates, with the winning organizations
receiving trophies.

     The City of Columbus' Refuse Collection Division is
assisting in the project by emptying all the 300-gallon trash
containers in the neighborhood in advance of the clean-up so
there will be room for the newly collected debris.  Bulk items,
such as old furniture and appliances, will be removed by workers
and trucks supplied by the university's Office of Physical
Facilities.  Rumpke Waste Removal and Recycling Inc. is donating
its services to pick up the recyclable materials collected by the
volunteers.  Van Dyne Crotty has contributed 2,000 pairs of work
gloves for the volunteers.

     Students from Indianola Alternative Elementary School,
located in the neighborhood, will be helping with the Clean Up,
as will members of the University Community Business Association,
the University District Organization, the University Community
Association, local churches and other community organizations.
Chadwick Arboretum at Ohio State is contributing flower bulbs and
volunteers to plant them in two traffic islands located in the
area.

                                
Contact: Ruth Gerstner, University Communications, (614) 292-8424


[Submitted by: REIDV  (reidv@ccgate.ucomm.ohio-state.edu)
               
Wed, 28 Sep 1994 09:40:14 -0500 (EST)]
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