Wilmington has held a city-wide spring cleanup for years. That was until the pandemic hit in 2020.
WILMINGTON (DE) BY DIGITAL STAFF: More than 40 groups have signed up for the Community cleanup day in Wilmington according to a news release.
The idea behind the spring cleanup is to improve neighborhoods and public spaces by collecting trash and debris, planting flowers, updating landscaping, starting a community garden, or a related beautification project.
Wilmington has held a city-wide spring cleanup for years. That was until the pandemic hit in 2020. We’re all too familiar with what happened when that happened. Things changed. Businesses were forced closed, and events were cancelled, but now, after more than 825,000 Delawareans have been vaccinated, things are starting to look up.
As Hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline in Delaware, Governor John Carney announced last Tuesday at his COVID-19 press briefing, that most capacity restrictions will be lifted starting May 21, 2021, however, Carney also cautioned that Delawareans should still follow the CDC mask guidance outdoors, and that larger events still require plan approval from DPH.
We’re not 100% there in terms of “Back to normal” but we’re definitely headed in that direction and things are looking up in Wilmington too. Wilmington’s City Spring Cleanup Day is Saturday May 15, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and yes, the mayor will be joining members of the community for this annual community event.
This may very well be the city’s first community event since the pandemic.
According to a spokesperson with the Mayor’s office, “While COVID-19 remains a serious concern, the Mayor said he remains confident that residents can gather safely and responsibly to complete both a City-wide clean up in the morning as part of the City’s Beautiful City Campaign and enjoy a healthy and fun Open Streets event later in the day.”
Also happening this weekend is the first series of Open Streets Wilmington, the inaugural event will kick off Saturday afternoon on Market Street in Downtown Wilmington. The street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 4th through 10th streets between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Open Streets creates a safe, car-free environment for residents of all ages and abilities to enjoy time outside walking, biking, and more. Most of Market Street will be closed off to traffic for this special day so residents can enjoy a healthy slate of activities, including:
• Outdoor fitness classes, children’s activities, and information provided by the YMCA
• Free bicycle repairs provided by Urban Bike Project
• Cooking demos and free giveaways of recipe cards and ingredient kits provided by the Food Bank of Delaware
• 1st and 2nd doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine and COVID PCR testing provided by CarePortMD
• First Aid and CPR informational tent provided by St. Francis Healthcare
Open Streets Wilmington is a collaborative initiative of Urban Bike Project, West Side Grows Together, and the Open Streets Steering Committee, a coalition of community representatives. Open Streets Wilmington is also presented by HighMark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware through their grant fund Blueprints for the Community. For more information, visit www.openstreetswilmington.org
