Love the Boot Week, April 17-23, 2023, is Louisiana’s Largest Litter Cleanup Organized by Keep Louisiana Beautiful
[Opelousas, LA] — During the week of April 17-23, 2023, The Opelousas Downtown Development District (ODDD) and the City of Opelousas will sponsor Keep Downtown Opelousas Beautiful 2023 as part of Love the Boot Week, Louisiana’s largest litter cleanup effort held in conjunction with Earth Week, April 17-23, 2023. Love the Boot Week is organized by Keep Louisiana Beautiful and supported by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
Opelousas Downtown Development District along with the City of Opelousas is hosting an entire week of cleanup along Market Street from Bertheaud Avenue to Church Street. Opelousas’ downtown economy retains and recruits new residents and businesses, drawing people from across Acadiana, the state, and the region. Downtown Opelousas is walkable and vibrant, reflecting its rich culture and history while looking to its future as a destination for residents and visitors to live, work, and play. We are seeking assistance to promote community pride in working toward a cleaner, greener, more beautiful Downtown Opelousas. “We decided to approach this cleanup different,” says ODDD Chairwoman, Lena Charles. “We know life is hectic. We all have busy schedules, so any individual, business, or organization has the opportunity to register for community cleanup for any day within the designated week. We hope this cleanup will have a rippling effect throughout all of Opelousas.”
Litter is not a new problem for Louisiana’s 64 parishes. For decades, litter has become increasingly detrimental to our communities, leading to a multitude of repercussions such as:
· Blight on natural areas, cities, towns, roadways, and waterways
· Death of wildlife due to polluted habitats
· Decline in quality of life in neighborhoods
· A negative impact on economic development, infrastructure, and tourism
· Flooding caused by storm drains clogged with litter and debris
Despite spending over $40 million in litter abatement each year, Louisiana is still experiencing shocking levels of litter statewide.
“Sportsman’s Paradise won’t be litter-free overnight, but by coming together during Love the Boot Week, we can bring awareness to the issue and take steps toward achieving a more beautiful Louisiana,” says Susan Russell, Executive Director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
Following the conclusion of Love the Boot Week, Keep Louisiana Beautiful will release an outcomes report summarizing the collective impact of the registered cleanup and beautification events. This report will include the total number of events, volunteers, bags of trash collected, pounds of trash collected, and other relevant statistics.
Volunteers can register for Opelousas Downtown Cleanup event at www.lovetheboot.org. Click on volunteer, https://keeplouisianabeautiful.org/love-the-boot/volunteer – put in Opelousas zip code (70570) and fill out the form.Questions about this specific event should be directed to the event organizer, Janece Riser at 337-948-1391 or janecer@stlandryed.com.
Love the Boot Week is made possible by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Coca-Cola, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.
For more information about Love the Boot Week, visit www.lovetheboot.org. Or you can contact info@keeplouisianabeautiful.org
About Opelousas Downtown Development District
The Opelousas Downtown Development District in collaboration with other local public and private entities is devoted to building leadership, progressing, and serving as the catalyst for economic growth and development in Downtown Opelousas.About Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Keep Louisiana Beautiful is an anti‐litter and community improvement non-profit organization focused on achieving a clean and beautiful Louisiana through education, enforcement, public awareness, and community engagement. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and comprised of a statewide network of 40 Community Affiliates and seven University Affiliates. Learn more at www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org.
