FRESNO, CA – Mayor Jerry Dyer joined hundreds of students taking part in cleanup and beautification events across the city this morning as part of the second annual Fresno Youth Service Day. The event was open to any City of Fresno grade school, middle school, high school, or other youth groups to organize an event in a location around their campus.
Beautify Fresno worked with school staff and student leaders, including several Beautify Fresno Clubs, to identify an area of need, such as streets surrounding the campus, a nearby park or trail, or a neighborhood of importance to the school community. Over 20 schools and nearly 800 students participated in this year’s event, picking up over 7,000 pounds of litter and trash and removing over 50,000 square feet of graffiti.
“It’s so encouraging to see students from across the city, from diverse backgrounds and communities, raising their hands in leadership and fellowship to create change,” said Mayor Dyer. “I’m proud to provide a chance for young people to have control over something so powerful as changing the way our city looks in a positive way. This simple act of service is a great example of the ‘One Fresno’ vision.”
Participating groups/schools included: Assisteens, Carden School of Fresno, Central East High School, Central Online Home School, Clovis West High School, Cooper Academy, Duncan Polytechnical High School, Fresno High School, Golden Charter Academy, Hidalgo Elementary School, JE Young Academic Center, San Joaquin Memorial High School, Phillip J. Patiño School of Entrepreneurship, Roosevelt High School, Sunnyside High School, Thomas Elementary School, and Valley Oak Elementary School.
Every participant received a free Fresno Youth Service Day t-shirt and each group received $100 gift card for a pizza party, donated by Me-n-Ed’s.
Fresno Youth Service Day sponsors include Caglia Environmental, Nalchajian Orthodontics, OUTFRONT Media, Me-n-Ed’s Pizza, and the One Fresno Foundation. This event was created as part of Mayor Dyer’s ongoing commitment to improving the lives of our youth and instilling a sense of ownership in their communities.
The first Fresno Youth Service Day took place on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Nearly 700 students from 20 K-12 schools in the City of Fresno – including schools from Fresno Unified, Central Unified, and Clovis Unified school districts – picked up 7,130 lbs. of garbage in a single day around their school campuses.
Follow Beautify Fresno on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @beautifyfresno or visit the website www.beautifyfresno.org.
