Salina’s Spring Spruce-up 2024 comes this weekend, with the Friends of the River Foundation announcing that several areas in the city need volunteers.
According to the Friends, this year’s event, which will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to noon, is the next example of the Salina community coming together with spirit and civic pride.
“Volunteers are encouraged to perform a variety of tasks, including landscaping, trash removal, painting and more,” the Friends said of what happens each year. “With a wide range of volunteer roles tailored to different interests and skills, participants can make meaningful contributions to the beautification of Salina.”
Weather may hamper the Spruce-up river section
Jane Anderson, executive director of the Friends of the River Foundation, said she is excited about another year of the Spring Spruce-up.
“We’re going to have a big day,” Anderson said.
This year, Anderson said, about 250 to 300 students from Kansas Wesleyan University will participate in the cleanup, many of whom will help pick up trash and remove honeysuckle from the Smoky Hill River.
Although skies appear clear during the cleanup, Anderson said the unpredictability of Kansas weather could be a problem for cleaning up the river.
“I’m really concerned about the rain for the river,” Anderson said. “Saturday should be fine, it looks like there will be (rain) in the afternoon, it’s Thursday (I’m worried about).”
Anderson said too much rain could cause the river road to fill up, meaning volunteers won’t be able to pick up trash, a scenario that isn’t new to Anderson and the Spruce-up.
“We’ve had three or four rains now, which is weird because we’ve been in a drought,” Anderson said. “Even if it rains, we will still cut down (those) invasive species.”
Anderson did say that even though the river cleanup may not happen, the rest of the Spring Spruce-up projects should still start Saturday.
“Everyone else I think should be fine,” Anderson said.
What projects are planned for this year’s Spring Spruce-up in Salina?
This year, volunteers are needed for 11 different outdoor projects in the city. Here’s what to expect at each of the locations, with where volunteers should go in brackets:
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Ashby House: Landscape and campus clearance. (143 S. Eighth St.)
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CHDO (Community Housing Development Opportunity): Painted house, garage and basement (700 W. Crawford St.). Paint House and Seed Lawn (746 Choctaw Ave.)
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City of Salina: Place medallions on storm drains regarding waste in waterways. (Temple parking lot, 336 S. Santa Fe Ave.)
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Smoky Hill River: Cutting down invasive honeysuckle bushes and clearing trash at the Smoky Hill River near the YMCA. (Park at Kenwood Cove and meet in the YMCA parking lot.)
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North Town District: Landscape cleanup at 5-Corners. (N. Ninth St. and N. Broadway Blvd.) Waste collection in an empty lot. (Marifah Motel Southeast Parking Lot, 1846 N. Ninth St.)
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Salina Downtown: Preparing planters, clearing out waste corrals, general cleaning of parking lots and alleys, clearing out storage corrals in alley and power washing Square 67401. (Strand Plaza and the back patio of Barolo Grille, 112-114 South Santa Fe Ave.)
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Salina Food Bank: Spreading new soil and mulch in garden beds, weeding and planting, cleaning carts, sanding and staining garden beds, and re-taping the warehouse. (255 S. Chicago St.)
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Salina rescue mission: garden, painting, storage organization. (1716 Summers Rd.)
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The Temple: mulching and planting flowers outside, painting and tidying up areas inside. (Use the north red door to enter at 336 S. Santa Fe Ave.)
More: Kansas Wesleyan raises $2.7 million for college scholarships in one night
Volunteers are asked to wear suitable clothing for working outdoors and to bring their own work gloves. Children under the age of 12 can volunteer, but must be accompanied by an adult.
Following the refurbishment, there will be a Repair Café from 1pm to 3pm, where participants are encouraged to bring a small, everyday item that needs to be repaired quickly. Think of things like a table lamp, bicycle, clothing or a duvet. The event will be hosted at the Salina Art Center Warehouse, 149 S. Fourth Street, and is free.
Finally, the City of Salina is hosting a free dump day at the landfill, 4292 S. Burma Road, on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This article originally appeared in Salina Journal: Salina Spring Spruce-up 2024 seeking volunteers
