Contributed by
Keep the Midlands Beautiful

Keep the Midlands Beautiful announces the winners of the 2006 Great American Cleanup: Midlands Makeover, a program that challenged schools, neighborhoods, and other groups to restore and beautify areas in Richland and Lexington counties between March and May.

Civic Category

+First Place: Richland County Sheriff's Department and Citizens Association ($250)

The Richland County Sheriff's Department received top prize in the Civic Category for conducting 34 graffiti removal projects in the three-month time frame. The majority of these projects took place in the Northeast and Lower Richland areas of Richland County.

+Second Place: Town of Irmo Arbor Day Committee ($100)

Receiving second place in the Civic Category was the Town of Irmo Arbor Day Committee. This citizen-based committee organized the second annual Great Irmo Cleanup, which resulted in 150 volunteer hours to picking up litter and performing maintenance work at elderly residents' homes.

Neighborhood Category

+First Place: East Central City Consortium, City of Columbia ($250)

The East Central City Consortium coordinated Operation Neighborhood, which brought together 150 volunteers and residents to clean up the Martin Luther King neighborhood. In one day, volunteers removed 270 bags of trash and an additional 27 tons of debris.

+Second Place: Lexington County Sheriff's Department ($100)

A senior citizen whose property was being abused by criminals received assistance through the Resident Deputy Program, which promotes partnerships with residents, neighborhoods, businesses. The Region 1 Community Response Team coordinated a major cleanup of the three-acre property, eliminating hideouts within the overgrown wooded areas and removing a large volume of trash.

Grand Prize Winner

(Selected from First Place Winners)

+East Central City Consortium, City of Columbia ($500)

Keep the Midlands Beautiful also presented a Community Spirit Award to Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, who cleaned a vacant, overgrown lot near the church and planted a garden on the property.

"The Great American Cleanup: Midlands Makeover created a great opportunity for local groups to improve the appearance of their communities and engage in a friendly competition," said Mary Pat Baldauf, executive director. "We plan to expand the program next year and encourage groups to start thinking now about possible projects for spring 2007."

Keep the Midlands Beautiful is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering individuals in Richland and Lexington counties to take greater responsibility for enhancing their community environment.