Keep Alachua County Beautiful hosts 29th annual Great American Cleanup
Locals will plant trees and shrubs, pick up litter, paint over graffiti and pull invasive plants The cleanup will be from 9 a.m. to noon and will start at Massey Park. [Graphic by Aubrey Bocalan]
Alachua County will participate in the nation’s largest community improvement program for the 29th year in a row.
Saturday’s Great American Cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. to noon starting at Massey Park, located at 1001 NW 34th St. Locals can sign up to plant trees, pick up litter, paint over graffiti and pull invasive plants with Keep Alachua County Beautiful (KACB).
In a 20-minute speech, Poe shared the city’s accomplishments and failures, with occasional cameos from city commissioners and local leaders. He discussed topics from homelessness to social justice.
WUFT News fact checked and added context to some of the statements the city included in the address:
(Mayor Lauren Poe:) In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, organizers worked cooperatively to work with city community members, including the Gainesville Police Department, to hold peaceful and powerful demonstrations, continuing Gainesville’s long-standing commitment to protecting our neighbors’ right to peacefully protest.
Fact check: Gainesville was one of about 30 U.S. cities that held a “March for Our Freedom” protest in May following Floyd’s death. Organizers urged the community to stay peaceful and use the event as an opportunity to spark awareness of police brutality. After the event, William John Connelly drove his car into protesters, according to police.
SG and Brown Center of Leadership and Service conduct donation drive for MLK Day
Students can donate masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and toiletry items at the Reitz Union until Feb. 1 Photo by Aubrey Bocalan | The Independent Florida Alligator
In honor of MLK Day of Service, UF Student Government is partnering with the Brown Center of Leadership and Service to hold a donation drive for Grace Marketplace, a non-profit organization with a mission to end homelessness in Alachua County.
UF students can contribute to the drive until Feb. 1 by donating supplies such as masks, hand sanitizer and toiletry items at the Reitz Student Union. Packages can be dropped off at the second and third floor front desks in the Student Activities and Involvement Portal or in the Bro