Pride in Springfield Township Day is slated to run from 8:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday, April 9.
By: Scott Morgan
SPRINGFIELD Peter Sobotka had more than slight disappointment in his voice when he said the following words about Pride in Springfield Township Day: "Unfortunately, we have to do this every year."
But for Mr. Sobotka, who sits on the Township Council, Pride in Springfield Township Day is a labor of love as much as a labor of frustration. If there’s one thing he hates, it is that some people use his township as their own personal trash can, tossing wrappers out of car windows or leaving garbage in the park. A group of volunteers has to clean it up every year, he said, simply "because people continue to litter."
But at the very least, Mr. Sobotka said, there is a nice sense of pride in having cleaned up the papers and bottles and cigarette butts from around the township. Plus, there’s lunch afterwards.
This year is the fourth incarnation of Pride in Springfield Township Day, and it is slated to run from 8:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday, April 9 (rain date April 10). A lunch to thank volunteers will be held at the Jacksonville Community Center when the work is done.
Mr. Sobotka said the day has proven successful in the past and asked residents to let him know if there are any areas of Springfield especially bestrewn with litter. Volunteers are scheduled to meet up Saturday morning at the township Municipal Building, where they will receive bags and gloves.
For more information, contact Peter and Barbara Sobotka at (609) 723-0269 or Bob and Nina Melillo at (609) 723-6036.