Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

The annual Downtown Wayne Clean Up Day was held on Saturday, April 23. The event is held each year on the weekend following Earth Day and is hosted by the organization Wayne Ripple Effect (formerly Wayne Main Street). More than 160 volunteers from Wayne and beyond descended on the city's downtown area including Goudy Park and its hiking trails which run along the Lower Rouge River. Volunteers picked up trash, raked out flower and shrub beds, and swept parking lots and sidewalks all in an effort to make the city more walkable and attractive.

Many volunteers came as a group from area businesses and organizations. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Rotary Club of Wayne partnered with the host organization and provided t-shirts for all volunteers. "We are very excited to partner with the Rotary Club of Wayne for a second year to conduct a city-wide clean-up of downtown Wayne. We always look forward to seeing new faces as well as the familiar faces of our past volunteers," said Wayne Ripple Effect board member Sam Rainey.

In all, 15 Rotarians from Wayne and Canton volunteered for the morning event. "I like doing this because it makes the city cleaner and it's visual, it's an immediate response you can see," said Wayne Rotary Club member Carol Bevard. Bevard has participated in the Downtown Wayne Clean Up Day many times and says she particularly enjoys the social interaction the event brings.

More than 160 volunteers participated to make Downtown Wayne Clean Up Day a success.

In addition to the Rotary Club, other sponsors for the event included Professional Insurance Associates, City of Wayne Judge Breeda O'Leary, Harry J. Will Funeral Home, and Pat Rice of REMAX Realty. Sponsors provided equipment and refreshments while the city of Wayne's DPD workers volunteered their time to pick up the many trash bags filled by the volunteers. "I really like getting the community together," said Rainey. "They are all coming out to help make downtown Wayne a cleaner place. It's really satisfying to see how many people want to help clean up the area, I grew up around here."

Wayne Ripple Effect is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to make downtown Wayne a vibrant place to live, work, and shop. To find out more about the organization, go to http://www.downtownwayne.org.