Volunteers will fan out in Covington, Alexandria, and Newport’s neighborhoods on Saturday to pick up litter while getting exercise during the second-annual “Plogging Across the Bluegrass” event.
There’s still time to register for the event, whose name employs the semantic merger of the Swedish term “plocka upp” (meaning “to pick up”) and the English word “jogging.”
The event combines camaraderie and community, said Sheila Fields, manager of the Covington’s Solid Waste & Recycling Division, which is partnering with the non-profit Keep Covington Beautiful to host the event.
“It’s an opportunity to get out in your community with others in a fun event for a good purpose,” Fields said. “This will be happening in at least 20 communities across Kentucky through the Keep Kentucky Beautiful group, and organizers hope one day it spreads to all 120 counties.”
This year’s events in Covington, Newport, and Alexandria run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Participants should register at Plogging Across the Bluegrass signup and indicate the neighborhood they’ll be participating in and whether they’re participating as a team or individual.
You can target any space in a neighborhood that needs litter removed, including streets, sidewalks, medians, and storm drains.
Contact KCB Program Manager Mallory McDaniel at mallory@greatneighborhoods.org or call 859-412-2142 if you need supplies like gloves, garbage bags, and “grabber” tools.
Note that some neighborhoods already have organized events that you can join, with some of those published on the Keep Covington Beautiful Facebook page.
After your cleanup, email Mallory McDaniel with the count of filled bags. If you need them picked up in the Covington area, call 859-412-2142 to arrange a Monday pickup time.
Be sure to take pictures during your cleanup. If you post on social media, use hashtags #ploggingacrossthebluegrass #kentucky #littercleanup #plogging #plasticpollution #doyourpart.
KCB coordinators will visit neighborhood events on Saturday to dole out encouragement and Ale8, which is a sponsor for the statewide effort alongside the Kentucky Guild of Brewers and the Kentucky Beverage Association.
In Campbell County — Alexandria and Newport
Campbell Countians can join the fun at two locations for Keep Kentucky Beautiful’s Plogging Across the Bluegrass Event.
Keep Kentucky Beautiful is a collaborative of organizations and people across the state who are both experts and passionate about beautification, sustainability, and litter prevention.
Meet @ Wooden Cask Brewing (629 York Street, Newport) or Studio 43 Sweat+Soul (7926 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria) for the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. event.
What is “plogging”? Plogging is a combination of the Swedish words “plocka upp” (pick up) and the English word “jogging.”
Participants will meet to gather supplies to pick up trash on their walk or jog – exercising and doing good for the community! This event is rain or shine. FREE T-SHIRTS AND ALE-8 AVAILABLE (while supplies last). Please complete registration here.
Questions? Contact Solid Waste at SolidWaste@campbellcountyky.gov or 859-547-1866.