ALTON - Pride, Inc. hosted their biannual City Wide Litter Pickup.
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On Saturday, April 12, 2025, community members across Alton participated in the cleanup. Pat Stewart, president of Pride, Inc., expressed her gratitude to the many groups and individuals who came out to help the community.
“We had a great turnout. We’re so appreciative of everybody,” Stewart said. “Obviously, trash is more than a twice-a-year problem, so the more we can get the message out, maybe people will start carrying a trash bag in their car. And who knows, if they see a nasty street, maybe they’ll just pull over and continue to do this cleanup throughout the year.”
Stewart said many “concerned citizens” took time to help out on Saturday, including the Alton Boys and Girls Club and St. Ambrose School. She emphasized the importance of getting the youth involved and teaching kids about how to properly dispose of trash and care for the community.
"It’s just very inspiring to see the parents out with all the kids. Of course, we got them hyped up a little bit with a donut beforehand, so that might have helped,” she laughed. “It was good lessons learned. We’ve spoken before about the importance of educating our youth, and hopefully this will be something that carries into their elder years as well.”
In addition to cleaning up Alton, the City Wide Litter Pickup aims to remind people how they can do their part to keep the community clean. Stewart said “it just takes that little bit” to avoid littering.
Pride, Inc. completes several beautification projects every year. Their mission is to teach people to “love where you live.” The next City Wide Litter Pickup is scheduled for October, but Stewart hopes people will take the initiative to keep the community clean year-round.
“It’s very important,” she said. “But again, it’s not just to help us with the two events. It’s to instill the importance of what it means to love where you live, to live in a clean community. Alton’s making great strides and trying to bring new businesses and residents into the area, and who wants to live on a nasty street? So that's kind of the message. We want the visitors to come and we want them to be proud of Alton.”
Pride, Inc. will host their annual celebration on April 24, 2025, at the Lewis and Clark Community College Commons in Godfrey. They will recognize individuals who contribute to their mission and raise money for their beautification projects in Alton and Godfrey. For more information about the celebration, including how to purchase tickets, click here.
Visit the official Pride, Inc. website at PrideIncorporated.org or their official Facebook page for more information about the organization and their upcoming events.
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