Time for spring cleaning

Plateau Pickup has become a premiere volunteer event

  • Volunteers will gather for the annual Plateau Pickup, sponsored by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce, at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founder’s Park on Saturday morning. In 2021, approximately 80 volunteers collected close to 300 bags of trash from area roadsides.
    Volunteers will gather for the annual Plateau Pickup, sponsored by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce, at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founder’s Park on Saturday morning. In 2021, approximately 80 volunteers collected close to 300 bags of trash from area roadsides.

    Litter always seems to build up along area roadways in early spring.

    As traffic picks up along main arteries, and more visitors make their way to Highlands and Cashiers, the accumulation of discarded trash becomes noticeable.

    Perhaps that is why the annual Highlands Chamber of Commerce Plateau Pickup always seems to fall at the perfect time. The community litter sweep is scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park.

    “We are very excited to be sponsoring the Plateau Pickup again this year and we are looking forward to seeing everyone bright and early Saturday,” Highlands Chamber of Commerce Director Kay McHan said during a recent Rotary Club of Highlands meeting. “We need as many volunteers as we can get because it’s pretty large area that we cover. There will also be free t-shirts for those who volunteer at the pickup.”

    Volunteers are asked to call 828-526-5841 or email events@highlandschamber.org to register.

    Anyone willing to give their time and effort should arrive at the park at 8 a.m. There will be a complimentary breakfast for volunteers and a brief safety meeting. Supplies, including trash bags, safety vests, pickup tools and gloves will be provided.

    At noon, all participants should return to the park to turn in their tools and any unused supplies. There will be a boxed lunch available for volunteers.

    “The Plateau Pickup is a phenomenal community event and it definitely helps our town look its best as we get into the spring and summer,” Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor said. “Our plateau is a beautiful place, it’s unfortunate that litter is such a problem, but our residents, business owners, civic groups, etc. roll up their sleeves to lend a hand and clean up our roadsides and public areas.”

    Along with covering many public spaces in Highlands, pickup volunteers will also take long stretches of several main arteries into town. There will be pickup routes along NC 28, NC 106 and US 64.

    The 2021 Plateau Pickup featured 80 volunteers and led to the collection of nearly 300 bags of trash, which were removed and disposed of by Town of Highlands sanitation department crews.