FORT BELVOIR Va. (APRIL 26) -- The roads surrounding Fort Belvoir are cleaner and safer now, due in large part to Belvoir volunteers spending Saturday morning participating in the annual Richmond Highway Cleanup.
Volunteers associated with Belvoir collected enough road-side debris to fill 88 large, orange trash bags that were ready for retrieval on Route 1 earlier this week, showing proof of the volunteers' efforts, according to Cynthia Stringfield, Fort Belvoir Public Affairs Office, community relations and event planner.
"We had folks from Headquarters Battalion, Intelligence and Security Command, Staff Judge Advocate and even two Marines from Quantico come out and help with the project," Stringfield said. According to Stringfield, 117 volunteers from Belvoir took part, including 70 Advanced Individual Training Soldiers from the 169th Engineer Battalion.
One of the Marines, Capt. Adi Serbaroli, lives closer to Belvoir than to Marine Corps Base Quantico, where she works in the Military Justice Office. She said she volunteers when she has the chance and has worked on cleanups before.
"It has to be a team effort. It's a great opportunity to get out, meet people and do something together to make a difference," Serbaroli said. "It's frustrating, though, that people throw their stuff out of their cars in the first place, particularly cigarettes, which are disgusting and irresponsible."
Volunteers collected carpeting, bottles, debris and even a construction barrel. The overstuffed orange collection bags also peppered Route 1 from Tulley Gate south toward Lorton, according to Stringfield. One team cleaned from Pence to Walker gates, on both sides. Some teams finished their spots quickly and then helped other teams on their assigned areas.
"The annual event exemplifies the service that Fort Belvoir and the Army continually have," she added. "This is Belvoir and its people showing that we are excellent neighbors. All of that debris now gone from the sides of the roads is an incredible accomplishment. It's much prettier now around Fort Belvoir. It's safer, too, because less trash on the sides of the road attracts fewer animals, which can cause drivers to be distracted and possibly get in accidents. Participating in this annual event is only a win-win-win situation with our local community, drivers and Soldiers, residents and employees on Fort Belvoir."
Stringfield was impressed with the volunteer's efforts.
"It was awesome and I was glad to be a part of it. It just shows what volunteers can do, especially when there's a need for them to help right in their own back yard," Stringfield said. "I didn't expect 88 bags but think it's wonderful the Belvoir teams did so much."
First Sgt. Bradley Scott, acting command sergeant major of Belvoir's Headquarters Battalion, took part in the event, along with some of his Soldiers.
"Everybody did a great job and pulled together," Scott said. "They took pride in their work and volunteered to help. They all seemed to get the greater picture of Earth Day and community relations and gave the local community their all."
Event planners also recognized the tie to Earth Day and this year's theme.
"We are absolutely good stewards and this proves it," Stringfield said. "We do this every year to support Earth Day to improve our community and our neighborhood. Earth Day's theme this year was 'Mobilize the Earth.' And, we proved that we can mobilize, as Soldiers and volunteers, for our little corner of the Earth."
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