Local Residents Donate Time, Food for River Cleanup

The 21st Annual River Alive Cleanup kicked off early Saturday morning at Roswell's Riverside Park with more than 500 local volunteers collecting debris and trash from North Fulton roads and parks.

Milton High School students Emma Salter and Camille Gonzalez were among those who volunteered.

“Whenever people run or bike past us on the streets, they thank us,” Salter said.

Keep Roswell Beautiful Chair Kim Weber witnessed one family gather over 100 pounds of trash on their own.

“We find the craziest stuff out here, like road signs and car tires,” Weber said. “Last year, one volunteer found an entire bag of old Vidalia onions. It was the stinkiest find.”

Alpharetta Environmental Coordinator Terri Porter was among the organizers who helped organize the Roswell river cleanup event.

“It’s such a perfect day for this and we have such wonderful volunteers,” Porter said. “We’re just so happy to see the results of the volunteers’ hard work.”

Roswell and Alpharetta residents weren’t alone in the cleanup effort. Several businesses also pitched in for the event. set up tents to register volunteers and Starbucks offered free coffee for participants. Winward Rotary Club dispatched volunteers to different sections of the city. Hal’s Drive Thru owner Hal Vernier donated all the food for the event and fed a picnic lunch to over 350 volunteers.

“I’m glad to be a small part of this,” Vernier said. “To me, this is such a rewarding effort. It’s about people who actually care about their community.”

The event was sponsored by Keep Roswell Beautiful, the city of Roswell, the city of Alpharetta and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.