ALTON - The Riverbend community has the opportunity to come together for community beautification.
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From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, community members can join the Alton Fall City-Wide Litter Clean-Up sponsored by Pride, Inc. Pat Stewart noted that Pride, Inc. hosts the clean-ups to beautify the community and unite people under the common goal of taking care of their city.
“It’s just a great way to get people together,” Stewart said. “All we can do is do our part to keep the streets clean and make people kind of take a look at the city and go, ‘This really is a cute little town.’ I think it makes us very proud.”
Pride, Inc. has sponsored biannual litter clean-ups for years, and they’re starting to see a major difference. Each clean-up collects 50–100 bags of trash, but Stewart has noticed that 80% of the streets “don’t look nearly as bad as they used to” year-round.
She believes this difference is due to the community’s buy-in. She feels that participation in the City-Wide Litter Clean-Up events encourages people to do their part, pick up trash and avoid littering at all times.
“It makes one proud. Not to play off of our name, but it really does instill pride to think, ‘Wow, people are really listening. Maybe we really are having an effect,’” she shared. “The more we spread the word, the more opportunities we have to keep the community clean and not drive by such eyesores anymore. That’s what we hope to achieve once again.”
Many individuals and organizations will join the City-Wide Litter Clean-Up event on Oct. 4. This year, Evangelical Elementary School students will participate in a poster-making contest and join in the trash clean-up efforts.
Registration stations open from 9–11 a.m. on Oct. 4 at the corner of 3rd and Belle Streets or at Fast Eddie’s Chicken at 7th and Central Avenue. The registration stations will provide participants with supplies, donuts and directions to litter-filled areas.
In the two weeks leading up to the Litter Clean-Up, you can also pick up supplies at Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Center, Flock Food Truck Park, or the Pride, Inc. office at the Benjamin Godfrey mansion.
If you prefer, you can simply use the City-Wide Litter Clean-Up date as an opportunity to pick up trash on your own street and dispose of it in your own trashcan.
No matter how you choose to participate, Stewart hopes to see many people come out to be a part of the Fall City-Wide Litter Clean-Up. She noted that Pride, Inc. works to connect with community members and emphasize the importance of beautification. The organization hopes they can inspire people to “love where you live.”
“Hopefully, we’re getting better every season,” Stewart added. “It’s pretty exciting.”
For more information about the Alton Fall City-Wide Litter Clean-Up event, click here. To learn more about Pride, Inc., visit their official website at PrideIncorporated.org. Pride, Inc. will also host a mouse race fundraiser on Nov. 8, 2025; click here to learn more.
