More than 1,000 people came out Saturday morning to rake, sweep, gather and throw away litter to help keep Lawrence County beautiful.

Part of the Keep America Beautiful program, the event draws volunteers from throughout the county to walk the city and village streets and the county roads to gather unsightly trash and reduce its negative impact on the environment.

Dan Palmer, district coordinator for the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District, said he was pleased with the turnout and thankful the weather cooperated this year.

“Last year it rained Thursday until Saturday, but look at the weather today, it’s gorgeous,” Palmer said. “We have over 53 groups and over 1,096 volunteers who signed up from seven townships.”

Palmer said one of the things he finds especially significant about the annual event is the youth turnout. He said he takes great pride in seeing teenagers from the community come out and help keep their cities and villages clean.

Tre Neal, one of many St. Joseph High School students at the event, said he enjoys volunteering and is happy to get out do his part.

“I’m here to clean up the city I live in,” Neal said. “I don’t want it to look trashy when new people come in for Gus Macker and other events.”

Jenna Rawlings, another St. Joseph eighth grader, said the school encourages students to volunteer in the community and she agreed with Neal on the importance of community service.

Palmer said he wanted to thank Coca-Cola for their donation of drinks to the workers in Ironton, Nestle for donating 800 bottles of water spread out to the workers throughout the county, Glad for donating 2,700 trash bags and Dow Chemical for their $2,000 donation to the event which helped buy litter grabbers and other equipment.