POCATELLO — Residents of Pocatello and Chubbuck are invited to take part in the annual community-wide spring cleanup, slated for May 1. Participants are asked to meet at the NeighborWorks Pavilion at Caldwell Park, which is located at the corner of South Seventh Avenue and East Lewis Street between 8:30 and 10 a.m. All cleanup participants will receive a free pancake and sausage breakfast cooked up by the Chamber Chiefs. Free gloves and trash bags will be distributed and cleanup assignments made at that time.

The annual cleanup is spearheaded by the Community Beautification Council, which is a committee of the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce. About 15 members make up the Beautification Council and represent a large cross-sector of the community. Donna Hays is the current chair of the committee. In addition to sponsoring the community-wide cleanup each year, the Beautification Council started the hanging flower basket program in Historic Downtown Pocatello and facilitates beautification awards each month for businesses that upgrade or renovate the exterior of their properties.

Mark Dahlquist, member of the Beautification Council, said that this is a great opportunity for all residents to come together and spend a couple of hours serving the community.

“Getting out for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning in the spring to make our community look and feel better about itself is such a rewarding experience,” Dahlquist said.

He also indicated that the group is excited once again to be holding the breakfast and kickoff at Caldwell Park. The pavilion and the beautiful surroundings of Caldwell Park is an ideal setting at a centralized location. Any individual or group, including Adopt a Highway teams, are encouraged to take part.

Although cleanup areas will be assigned on Saturday morning, volunteers are welcome to clean up up other locations of their choice and reserve areas in advance. Simply confirm your location before May 1 by calling Deb Beckett at the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce. She can be contacted at 208-233-1525.

Individuals and groups are all encouraged to take part.

The city of Pocatello Sanitation Department will provide free trash bags and will pick up the bags and take them to the landfill once volunteers are finished. Sponsors of the community-wide spring cleanup include the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce, D.L. Evans Bank, Lookout Credit Union, Ed’s Painting Contractors Inc., Citizens Community Bank, NeighborWorks Pocatello, Ireland Bank, Intermountain Gas, the city of Pocatello and the Chamber Chiefs.

For more information, contact the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce at 233-1525.