Local high school students help beautify Chicopee with annual clean sweep event

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Students from a local school spent their Friday morning participating in a community clean sweep event in Chicopee. These students took to the streets to beautify the city of Chicopee by cleaning up litter and sweeping sidewalks.

Springfield Renaissance School students were not afraid to get their hands dirty as they worked to keep their community clean. Students used donated supplies to clean in areas around Chicopee City Hall, the Chicopee Canal Walk, the Chicopee Public Library, and RiverMills Center.

"To be like trying this out and actually cleaning out everything on the sidewalks, it's good, it feels cleaner," said Student at Springfield Renaissance School, Kayla Hidalgo.

Another student at Springfield Renaissance School, Nylene Rodriguez, added, "It feels good because like people can walk by and they don't have to see trash everywhere. They can just see like nature."

This is part of the fifth annual Chicopee Clean Sweep put on by the Chicopee Cultural Council & Chicopee Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Chicopee. Student volunteers are able to take part in this cause through the United Way Pioneer Valley program.

These students are spending their time picking up trash and bagging it up to not only help beautify the city, but also protect the environment. "It's always important to teach them early. So never, ever, ever litter and be part of, you know, the people who are like not cooperating with Mother Nature," said Community & Special Projects Liaison for the Chicopee Mayor's Office, Monica Torres.

And through their selfless actions, the Chicopee officials hope it'll inspire others to take care of their surroundings. "It's important to have your city looking beautiful and inviting, you know, like you take a walk and it's just you feel comfortable in your own setting and be able to, like, navigate your city and say, I'm proud of where I'm from," expressed Torres.

At the end of this event, the Chicopee Facility's department picked up the bags and delivered them to DPW.

There will be another clean sweep on Saturday with another group of volunteers. They'll be stopping at rivers, parks, and several neighborhoods throughout the city.