Cleanup day nears

A statewide cleanup day is planned Friday and Eunice organizer Donna Baltakis wants volunteers to make themselves known. 
Baltakis, director Keep Eunice Beautiful, said Friday is Leaders Against Litter Day across the state.
“We are looking forward to a great turnout of invited leaders as well as any other political, business, civic, school and church leaders who want to join us in working together for a cleaner Louisiana,” she said. 
Baltakis requests volunteers contact her at 457-1510 or baltakisd@bellsouth.net.
The Keep Eunice Beautiful mailed 100 leaders an invitation to particpate in the cleanup, which will launch from City Hall at 8 a.m. 
Letters were sent to government, school, church and business leaders. 
But Baltakis needs to hear from those leaders and others who plan to participate. 
“I need to know who will be attending so I can make plans on food and logistics for the actual day,” she said in an email. 
“Basically, these folks show up at City hall at 8 a.m.,” she said. “We get them shirts, trash bags, and ‘grabbers’ and send them to a site to pick up litter for 30 minutes. They then come back to city hall to sign a pledge board, have a morning snack, take a picture and go on their way by 10 or 10:15 a.m.”
Eunice’s cleanup is a small piece of Keep Louisiana Beautiful state-wide Leaders Against Litter event. 
Cities and parishes from Abbeville, Baton Rouge, Bossier, Eunice, Hammond, Jefferson, Lacombe, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Mandeville, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Monroe, West Monroe, Opelousas, Shreveport, Slidell, St. James, St. John, St. Mary and Terrebonne will conduct morning local cleanups followed by the pledge signing.  
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne will hold a press conference in Baton Rouge announcing the collective effort and calling citizens to join in by volunteering for a cleanup with their local Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliate from March to May.