City of Box Elder hosts “Cleaning up the Box” event

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The City of Box Elder held the “Cleaning up the Box” event Thursday at the Box Event Center.

Bright green shirts were seen on the roadways in Box Elder as volunteers were busy trying to make their community cleaner.

“There was quite a bit (trash). A lot in the fences along the properties so because the wind is obviously blowing and getting caught in there. So quite a lot, we’ve filled up almost a whole truckload in the back just in our zone,” says volunteer Brook Kiecksee.

More than 130 people were divided into seven different teams and they went to various areas around town that needed cleaning including the Douglas School District and Liberty Boulevard.

“It’s a great time, like you said, where the residents some of our sponsors they can get some of their employees out along with staff and just really, you know, really wonderful teamwork effort to clean things up,” City of Box Elder Public Information Officer Derek Wingfield said.

“Events like this are really important because it’s showing that, you know, we don’t just care about like City Hall or our city buildings. We really care about how our community is betrayed and the people inside of it,” Kiecksee continued.

The cleanup event allows for community bonding and new relationships to start.

“It’s really nice just being able to talk to other people and really like just getting to know them. Seeing them as people who are also really passionate about this community,” Kiecksee added.

After a hard day’s work, the volunteers were met with plenty of food and prizes.

“Everybody gets to come back together, sit down, have lunch. The sponsors do make some cool donations. We have a prize table over this way, so they’ll raffle off for these volunteers. So, some of them they’re going to get some cool parting gifts you know, just for being part of the environment,” Wingfield said.

The “Cleaning Up The Box” event has been running for nearly a decade.

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