2024 Keep Arkansas Beautiful Fall Campaign Encourages Statewide Cleanups

The 2024 Keep Arkansas Beautiful fall campaign is reaching out to residents in hopes of encouraging a number of cleanup events across the state before the program ends Oct. 31.

McKenzie McMath-Coronel [pronounced CORE-O-NEL] is the Executive Director of Keep Arkansas Beautiful and hopes every Arkansan lends a hand this month to cleanup the Natural State by either hosting an event or participating in one near them.

Groups can range in size from just a single family to 100 individuals or more. The organization provides all the necessary supplies including gloves, safety vests, t-shirts, garbage bags and signage to inform motorists a cleanup is underway. McKenzie said groups are asked to share the number of volunteers and what kind of litter they’re seeing in Arkansas’ public spaces.

The spring 2024 campaign was one of the most successful in terms of volunteers organized and volume of litter removed.

The Keep Arkansas Beautiful campaign is held in the spring and fall of each year. However, Coronel said the program’s end goal is for Arkansans to commit year-round to ensuring their communities are free of litter.

Coronel said the impact of these cleanups is beneficial to the state’s tourism and business sectors. To that end, Keep Arkansas Beautiful offers “green grants” to help communities look good year-round.

Another effort, Coronel said, is directed at childhood education. By teaching children to do better, she hopes the amount of litter plaguing Arkansas will drop as new generations grow up.

Coronel reminds Arkansas high school students beginning with the class of 2026-27 that, under the LEARNS Act, they’re required to obtain 75 hours of community service before graduating. Joining a Keep Arkansas Beautiful event is a perfect way to get those hours.

Coronel encourages everyone to get involved in this year’s fall campaign by joining a local cleanup or hosting their own. They’ll be able to obtain free supplies and promotional materials if they register an effort before Oct. 31. She said it couldn’t be simpler to host or join an event.

For more information on the 2024 fall Keep Arkansas Beautiful campaign, including registering your own event, visit www.keeparkansasbeautiful.com.