From Albany to Buffalo, thousands of volunteers rolled up their sleeves, donned raincoats if necessary, and carried garbage bags as they collected trash and debris in canal towns across the state as part of the annual Canal Clean Sweep event.
Now in its 20th year, Clean Sweep is organized by Parks & Trails New York and the New York State Canal Corporation in honor of Earth Day weekend. According to the Parks & Trails New York website, more than 140 locations had groups registered to clean along historic canals in New York State.
Registered teams were sent t-shirts to wear at the event and garbage bags to collect trash. Anyone can register to start a cleaning group by signing up on the Parks & Trails website. The event saw a diverse range of groups, including organizations, businesses, and individuals with varying motivations that all made it a day to remember for many living along our canal system.
In Memoriam…