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Janesville's Downtown Pride Day seeks volunteers

JANESVILLE — Without dozens of volunteers gathering for a downtown cleanup day each spring and fall, the work wouldn’t get done, one organizer says.

“There’s just simply not the manpower to do this,” Renee Dommershausen said of city workers.

Fortunately, the cleanup events have been growing each year, she said.

Organizers are seeking volunteers to help out at this spring’s effort from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 7, for “Downtown Pride Day.” The event begins with coffee, doughnuts and crew assignments behind the Olde Towne Mall.

If you can’t make it for the whole day, that’s OK, Dommershausen said.

“Some people can only work a couple hours,” she said.

Volunteers will be weeding, pruning, sweeping and painting. Others will get more strenuous assignments, such as stump removal and tree planting.

The cleanups started in 2002 and are a partnership with the city, which provides tools and equipment.

As people have seen the downtown become cleaner, people are less likely to litter and more likely to keep things clean, Dommershausen said.

“I think progress has been made,” she said. “There’s fewer areas that really need attention. I think more of the owners are taking the initiative to do things on their own.”

About 75 people helped at last fall’s effort. Crews range from downtown worker, to retired residents, families, service organizations and RECAP inmates from the Rock County Jail.

“As time goes on, there’s more and more enthusiasm,” she said. “I do think that it’s quite the snowball going downhill.”

A free noon picnic lunch for all workers will be cooked and served by Janesville firefighters at Firehouse Park, on North Main Street across from M&I Bank. Other community members are welcome to have lunch in the park for $5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Janesville Downtown Development Alliance’s Design Committee will host the annual event. A rain date is Friday, May 14.