This Saturday, April 17th brings the Skagway Chamber of Commerce’s annual spring cleaning event called The Clean Sweep. According to Chamber of Commerce Office Administrator Blaine Mero, the event has been a way to clean up the streets of Skagway after long blustery winters for over 25 years.
“It’s just a great way to clean up the city. I’m already looking out my window and seeing tons of trash that’s just kind of being blown around. So hopefully, the snow will melt. And by Saturday, we’ll have good weather for people to get out there and do it,” said Mero.
Saturday’s forecast, for now, is calling for highs in the low 50’s with mostly sunny skies. Mero says groups will stop by the Chamber office at 7th and State street to pick up their trash and recycling bags and get assigned a section of the city to clean. Groups can pick their favorite location on the map if it’s still available, or be assigned an area at random.
“There are maps that go all the way out to Dyea. So everything is mapped off, we make sure that all the maps contain every single block and inch of this community; the railroad tracks the whole bit,” said Mero.
Registration for the event starts at 9 am and The Clean Sweep usually wraps up by noon. According to Mero, participants will drop off their bags at the city maintenance building on 5th and Alaska, and the maintenance crew will complete the process of delivering the refuse to the incinerator.
“We’ve always had a really great turnout. It’s never lacked in people wanting to clean up the community. It’s a great way for the kids to get out there as well with their families or their friends. It’s just one of the events that the chamber sponsors and puts on and it’s a great way to give back to the community,” said Mero.
