DETROIT ~ On Tuesday, multiple Detroit civic leaders kicked off Detroit’s annual Motor City Makeover campaign to recruit thousands of volunteers who will clean and beautify the city in May.
The citywide cleanup effort brings together thousands of volunteers for three Saturdays in May. Over the past 30 years, MCM has evolved by partnering with block clubs and associations to clean and beautify neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds, and around businesses, schools, and places of worship, according to the city’s website.
In recent years, the event has focused on creating beauty with the planting of thousands of flowers and hundreds of trees provided by the City and its sponsors, along with cleaning alleyways and securing vacant buildings. Community tool libraries for the program will be set up at Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation, E. Warren Tool Library, Premier Group Associates, and Detroit Toolbank.
“Not only do we want an economically vibrant city and a safe city, but we deserve and we are demanding a clean city,” Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said during a press conference. “It is always an honor every single year to go out into the community to see our block clubs and neighborhood associations come together and take back their communities.”
This year’s campaign will also include a contest to select a design created by a Detroit young person for the official Motor City Makeover t-shirt, asking artists to. People aged 14-24 can submit a design by submitting it through the city’s call to artists webpage.
The dates for this year’s clean-ups are set for May 2, 16, and 30. For those who wish to volunteer for the cleanup, sign up at this online forum.
