Rye Town Sustainability Committee observes Earth Day with cleanup

The Town of Rye's Sustainability Committee is organizing a multi-municipality cleanup day on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Volunteers can choose from four different municipal locations where they will help beautify their communities by picking up trash or removing invasive vines. Temperature checks, social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols will be observed throughout the event. Participants must wear masks and bring their own gloves.

The four cleanup sites are:

*Bowman Avenue (near Port Chester Middle School), Rye Brook (Meet in Rye Ridge Shopping Center, Plaza Level)

*Crawford Park, 122 N Ridge St., Rye Brook (Wear long pants, long sleeves, close-toed shoes and gloves appropriate for invasive vine removal, park on-site)

*Downtown Port Chester (Meet at the Port Chester Metro-North station)

*Disbrow Park, 141 Oakland Beach Ave., Rye (Wear close-toed, water-resistant shoes and clothes appropriate for marshland activity)

Volunteers are asked to pre-register online and sign the waiver before Nov. 5 at the following link: townofrye.seamlessdocs.com/f/CommunitySignUp. A limited supply of safety vests and trash grabbers will be provided to volunteers on a first come, first served basis.

“We’d originally planned a large community clean-up earlier this year in April,” said Pamela Jaffee, chair of the Rye Town Sustainability Committee and town councilmember. “Unfortunately, the state of the world mandated that we postpone the activity. So we are happy to announce this belated ‘Earth Day in November’ observance. We’re going to work together to green up and clean up local parks and neighborhoods in Rye City, Rye Brook and Port Chester, in conjunction with a host of local municipalities and environmental organizations.”

Municipal and community organization co-sponsors of the event include:

*City of Rye

*City of Rye Conservation Commission/Advisory Council

*Disbrow Park Conservancy

*Friends of Crawford Park

*Friends of Rye Town Park

*Port Chester Beautification Commission

*Rye Brook Sustainability Committee

*Rye Sustainability Committee

*Village of Port Chester

*Village of Rye Brook

There will be a socially distanced party directly after the cleanup under the pavilions at Rye Town Park, 95 Dearborn Ave., Rye, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Complimentary pizza and soft drinks will be provided by The Barley Beach House and the volunteer who unearths the "weirdest piece of trash" will be awarded a themed prize.

The event will proceed rain or shine and is eligible for community service hours. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.