Graffiti Be Gone Cleanup Saturday

You are invited to make a difference in Yakima during a community wide cleanup Saturday.

This is part of the “Graffiti Be Gone” campaign that has been underway in the city for the past two weeks.

Archie Mathews with the Yakima Office of Neighborhood Development says people do not have to wait until Saturday to clean up; they can start today.

Everybody that can clean up their own property helps us all as a community not just the big cleanup events

But for those who want to be part of the big cleanup on Saturday are encouraged to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Albertsons parking lot at 16th and Lincoln.

The north-central and northeast portions of Yakima will be the targeted areas for cleanup. It will include neighborhoods north of Lincoln Avenue and south of Fruitvale Boulevard between 16th Avenue and 5th Avenue.

Volunteers will also be working along North 1st Street pulling weeds, picking up trash, sweeping sidewalks and painting over graffiti as well as doing general cleanup work around the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center on Fair Avenue.

During a similar cleanup effort in 2012, more than 60 tons of garbage were hauled away.