Sweeping up Swannanoa

FANS to host annual litter sweep

The Valley Echo
April 6, 2022

Dozens of volunteers join the 2021 Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup. The annual litter sweep, sponsored by FANS, will return, April 9. Photo courtesy of FANS

Swannanoa will get a spring cleaning, beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 9, as local nonprofit organization Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) will hold its community cleanup. 

Volunteers will meet in the Ingles parking lot at 2323 U.S. 70, near the former Bank of America building, where they will be given supplies and form groups. The Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup will finish at noon, but participants may for any period of time they choose.

FANS, which sponsors the annual event, works to support a strong and vibrant community through its work, which includes events such as Groovin' on Grovemont, the Mill Around the Village Festival, Swannanoa Winterfest and a wide range of other projects. The organization has been “working for a strong and vibrant Swannanoa” since its founding in 2006, according to its mission statement.

The Swannanoa Sweep will organize groups to collect debris from roadways, river banks and other areas where litter accumulates. The designated sites include kid-friendly areas, FANS said in a release announcing the event. 

Volunteers are asked to wear clothes and shoes that are appropriate for gathering litter, while gloves, bags and safety vests will be provided. Church, school and other groups are encouraged to join.

For more information about the Swannanoa Sweep Community Cleanup, contact Maureen Dillow at mdillow2@bellsouth.net, or call 828-713-8836.