Get Swept Up! Returns September 4th

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership is gearing up for its 10^th Annual Get Swept Up! event on Wednesday, September 4, 2013.  This community-wide beautification effort is scheduled annually on the Wednesday before the first Mississippi State University home football game. The event is an effort to help the Starkville community look its best for our friends from around the Southeast visiting for gridiron action.

The Chamber of Commerce conceived the Get Swept Up! concept in 2004 as an encouragement to member businesses and organizations to “fix up, clean up and spruce up” the community during the crucial pre-season time of year. It has grown over the last ten years into a true cooperative effort between The Partnership, the business community, volunteer organizations from town and gown, and the City of Starkville. 

Jennifer Prather, Special Projects Coordinator for the GSDP, says the Get Swept Up! program offers a unique opportunity to see true community spirit in action. “Get Swept Up! is so important because it’s one day each year that our community can come together working toward one common goal of sprucing up the town that we all love," Prather said.  "It allows Starkville to put its best foot forward in welcoming visitors for football season."

“I’m a huge fan of Get Swept Up! because it reminds people to take pride in their hometown,” shares Melissa Dixon, Chamber board president and owner of Blufish Design. “It doesn’t take long to pick up litter and pull weeds on one street, but it makes a big difference in how it looks to passersby and out-of-town guests.” Melissa says that her staff usually jumps in as volunteers with a Downtown team because they like to have a positive impact on the area they see every day. 

The mission of Get Swept Up! is two-fold. First, businesses and organizations with property around town are encouraged to pick up trash and clean grounds as well as make any exterior repairs needed. Many owners like to get on board with the Bulldog spirit by hanging maroon and white flags or decorative items that reflect the community’s support of MSU athletics. 

The second aspect of Get Swept Up! involves some 400-500 volunteers who work together to clean up and spruce up public areas like sidewalks, green space and parking lots. Volunteering for a Get Swept Up! team is easy. Libby Gerald of Starkville Properties is serving as the volunteer coordinator for 2013. Volunteers may contact Libby (libby@starkvillepropertiesms.com) to participate. She will sign up a team of friends or co-workers, or place individual volunteers together with other teams as needed to be sure most areas of the community are covered. 

Closer to the event date, volunteers will be notified of their specific clean up areas. On September 4, supplies may be picked up at the GSDP office. We ask that all teams complete their clean-up efforts by 3pm so that the City of Starkville Sanitation Department can pick up the bags.

“We’re proud of our city!” says Kim Stevens of Coldwell Banker, a long-time participant of the Get Swept Up! program. “Our team volunteers with Get Swept Up! each year because we want to be involved in the community. We want to contribute to something that shows our city’s pride in itself and in our Bulldogs.”

We hope you’ll keep September 4 on your calendar and add your name to the Get Swept Up! volunteer list. Help us show our visitors the best Starkville has to offer!

Author: Haley Montgomery