Governor McKee and his wife Susan visit #MiddletownRI Monday afternoon to urge support for the Keep Rhody Litter-Free campaign, drawing more than 125 people, smiles and commitments from across the state to help the cause.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
GOVERNOR, FIRST LADY HELP KEEP MIDDLETOWN CLEAN
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (APRIL 22, 2024) – Dan McKee and his wife Susan helped make Middletown Clean Monday.
The Governor and the First Lady led a group of more than 125 people at an afternoon Earth Day ceremony and litter cleanup towards the back of Middletown High School off Valley Road.
The McKees joined Town Council President Paul M. Rodrigues and Councilman Dennis Turano, speaking about the importance of keeping Middletown — and all of Rhode Island — litter free.
Part of a statewide campaign, Governor McKee signed an Earth Day proclamation highlighting the state’s commitment to Keep Rhody Litter-Free and announced the recipients of the Department of Environmental Management's Litter-Free Rhode Island micro-grant program.
Both McKees also applauded Middletown for taking the lead with the Keep Rhody Litter-Free effort and working to promote the state’s litter free pledge at https://mdl.town/Pledge online.
“Middletown really exemplifies one of the great spots in Rhode Island,” McKee said. “Thank you to Middletown for hosting us and the Litter-Free Rhode Island program is within reach and I’m encouraged by the work that’s happening locally through their initiatives — Middletown Clean. They’ve set a great example for others to follow.”
Susan McKee, who is leading the Keep Rhody Litter-Free charge, said she has come away pleased and heartened by the good work she’s seen across the state around the issue.
Sharing the words of a Glocester woman named Cynthia who said litter cleanup was something everyone could embrace, the First Lady said it’s incumbent on all of us to make the world a better place.
“So often we are not able to assist in eliminating a problem, but this one, we all have the power to help,” Susan McKee said, recounting Cynthia’s words. “We can teach others by our example, it doesn’t cost anything, but the impact it will have on future generations is huge.”
With new people and businesses signing onto the “litter-free pledge” daily, the McKees said the goal is to have 20,000 people on board within a year.
According to state data presented Monday, staff with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has gathered more than 6,300 bags of waste since the campaign launched recently. That totals 76 tons of trash and recyclables. Also, 79 spots across The Ocean State have been adopted for regular maintenance by individuals and businesses.
The Middletown council President Rodrigues said Middletown would have signed on before Monday’s event, if it wasn’t for an extremely long meeting on April 15 that pushed the item off the agenda.
Even so, Rodrigues said it was critical for Middletown and other communities around Rhode Island to do their part because litter wasn’t just a nuisance issue.
“We must make a commitment to investing in environmental protection and educating residents on its importance and connection to improving our state’s overall health,” Rodrigues said. “We will work with our state partners to advance these goals such as hosting community cleanups, passing local litter related ordinances and working on shifting community culture around littering."
Turano, who has spearheaded the Middletown Clean effort locally, agreed, saying he was proud to see the support and such a large crowd Monday. For more about Middletown Clean and what you can do to help, visit https://mdl.town/Clean online.
“Seventy percent of our drinking water is surface water and we have to make sure it stays clean…” Turano said. “This is not a sprint, this is a marathon. Litter is never going to go away, but we can control it and pay attention to it.”
Middletown High Principal Donna Sweet, who was instrumental in organizing and hosting Monday’s event, presented the McKees with Middletown sweatshirts and thanked them for making this Earth Day special for students and staff.
“Islander Pride is strong, it’s real and it’s really important for our students and staff to see you here today and to see all the great work everyone is doing together,” Sweet said.
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/12368/NYCU-Gov
