For the Reporter

Help Auburn celebrate Earth Day and participate in Auburn’s largest volunteer effort, Clean Sweep, set for Saturday.

The community-wide volunteer effort focuses on major cleanup, environmental restoration and beautification efforts in different areas throughout the city. Volunteer groups will work on general cleanup, landscaping, planting, weeding and other projects at various parks, Auburn’s Environmental Park, trails and other sites.

One of the largest volunteer needs for Clean Sweep 2016 will be for the rebuilding, landscaping and surfacing of a new playground at Isaac Evans Park. The city received a $15,000 Let’s Play Grant from KaBOOM and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to help fund the new playground.

Volunteers can register by selecting the Clean Sweep event at www.auburnwa.gov/events. They can choose to participate in a specific project or can ask to be assigned to the project that is in need of the most volunteer support.

Everybody is welcome to join. Service clubs, social service agencies, faith-based groups, scouting troops, businesses, families and individuals are invited to come out for the day, work together on some beautification projects and celebrate Auburn.

Volunteers will be asked to bring tools based on their volunteer assignment (determined once registered), gardening or work gloves, and a broom for the ceremonial sweep along the Main Street sidewalks. Participants are encouraged to wear T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats or other clothing that identifies their group.

The Clean Sweep project kicks off at City Hall at 7:30 a.m. with group registration and a pancake breakfast prepared by Kiwanis Club of Auburn. Volunteers will then participate in a ceremonial clean sweep down the Main Street sidewalks at 8:30 a.m., followed by the collective volunteer projects at various sites throughout Auburn beginning around 9 a.m.

To volunteer or to obtain additional information, visit www.auburnwa.gov/events, call 253-931-3043, or email events@auburnwa.gov