Press Release: ANGUILLA, BRITISH WEST INDIES, Wednesday, 26th May, 2010 

The second ‘Clean up /Green Up Anguilla’ campaign took take on Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd May 2010 with some groups carrying out their clean up effort on other days more convenient for them during the week.   In excess of 50 organizations and 1600 persons participated in this joint effort to clean up all main and side paved roads, not only in readiness for the celebration of Anguilla Day, but also for a show of national pride in the beautification and cleanliness of this jewel in the Caribbean’s crown.  

Participating groups included The Optimist Club of Anguilla, Rotary Club of Anguilla, Interact & Rotaract Clubs, all Primary schools, Teacher Gloria Omolulu school, Veya Restaurant, Campus A & B, Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cap Juluca, Viceroy, Cuisinart, Altamer/Cove Castles, Temenos Golf Course, Lions Clubs, Citrus, Anguilla Hotel & Tourism Association, Pathfinders (South Hill and Island Harbour), Governor’s Office, Department of Disaster Management, National Disaster Management Committee, Environmental Health Unit, Anguilla Red Cross, Methodist Churches at Road, Valley, Blowing Point, West End and Sandy Ground, Central Baptist Church, Jehovah’s Witness, Apostolic Faith Church, Church of God of Prophecy, Greig’s Trucking, Elmoalis, Krystal Enviro Services, Anguilla National Trust, Anguilla Renewable Energy Office, District #3, Haydn Hughes, Walcott Richardson, Edison Baird, Evan Gumbs, Jamaican Cultural Association, East End, Island Harbour and Welches.

This year we took an environmental approach working with Beth Barry of the Anguilla Renewable Energy Office to provide biodegradable garbage bags.  Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Director of the AHTA, in collaboration with Springer, developed a ‘clean up’ jingle for the AHTA, which will be recorded by Anguillian children, and will be played on various radio stations from around the island, as an on going reminder that it is each of our responsibility to keep Anguilla clean. 

The Honorable Edison Baird did an excellent job in getting the schools involved.  Participation of school children was particularly important as it teaches them from an early age the importance of caring for our environment and taking pride in keeping our surroundings clean.

It is hoped that this exercise will continue on an annual event with more businesses becoming involved.  However it is the responsibility of each individual on Anguilla to be conscious of keeping the island clean and to avoid littering at all times and not just at a yearly event.

The Clean Up/Green Up  Anguilla Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organizations and individuals who gave their support and helped to ensure the event an outstanding success.  The Committee would also like to give heartfelt thanks to the three companies that donated resources to pick up the sacks of garbage.  Greig’s Trucking who covered the west side of the island up to the Sandy Ground roundabout; Elmoalis who covered the central part of the island and Krystal Enviro-Services who covered the east side of the island.   Thanks are also extended to the Radio Stations who donated airtime and to The Anguillian, The Herald and The Light who ran our press releases so that we could more effectively publicize the event.  Thanks also go to Viceroy, Cap Juluca and Cuisinart for the donation of garbage bags, rubber gloves and water and to the Purchasing Department of Cap Juluca for their assistance in delivering these items to the various groups.

Thanks go to the Green Up Anguilla Committee for their assistance with the planning of the event:  Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Beth Barry, Farah Mukhida, Elisabeth Klute, The Honorable Edison Baird, Seymour Hodge, Wilma Vanterpool, Gary Thulander, Lloyd Gumbs, Carmen Hackett-Saunders, Greig Hughes, Calvert Carty with special thanks go the Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Gary Thulander and Lloyd Gumbs for all their liaison work to make this event such a huge success.