FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Fort Belvoir joined forces with area organizations Saturday in an effort to clean up the Route 1 Corridor running through the installation's property.
The event was part of the annual "spring clean" put on by the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce.
Members of Fort Belvoir's Garrison staff, community members, Soldiers and volunteers met at the Community Center before spreading out to pick up trash along the highway and around the installation gates.
Roughly 60 Advanced Individual Training Soldiers and 50 Soldiers and family members from Headquarters Battalion spread out from Walker Gate to Telegraph Road and picked up any garbage that lined the major highway.
Approximately 96 bags of garbage was collected by Belvoir personnel along Route 1, as well as tires, chairs, a bed frame, mattress and countless bags and bottles.
Installation Commander Col. Jerry Blixt and his wife, Debbie, also helped to gather trash.
Family members with children younger than 18 were not permitted on Route 1, as a safety precaution. So, that group cleaned the area surrounding the Community Center. They collected close to 10 full bags of trash just around the center.
Chamber Board Member Karen Jupiter organized the event and was very happy with the turnout.
"It was a great event and I'm glad so many organizations participated," Jupiter said. "We had so many people working. It was really quick and easy and the highway definitely looks better. People should realize when they are throwing trash out that someone has to pick it up."
The Chamber of Commerce provided refreshments and a coupon for a combo meal at Roy Rogers for the volunteers' efforts.
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