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January 8, 2022Keep Terrebonne Beautiful, a local non-profit organization partnered with the Market at the Marina to host a White Boot Cleanup in Downtown Houma early this morning. The volunteers successfully removed litter and debris from roadsides, highways, and waterways for a safer and cleaner community.
The cleanup crew kicked off the White Boot Cleanup at 8 a.m., launching kayaks from the Downtown Marina, retrieving an unprecedented amount of trash and debris including a mattress, a weed eater, an iron fence, plastic bags, bottles, cans, and masks, from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Billie Richard, Executive Director of Keep Terrebonne Beautiful said the purpose of the yearly event is to raise awareness and create a behavior change in the community. “We want people to take pride in where they live and pay attention to their surroundings. Instead of riding along a highway and throwing trash out in the street, you can save it and put it in the trash can where it belongs,” said Richard.
Richard said the majority of roadside and community littering is generated by pedestrians, and motorists throwing trash from their vehicles, causing negative impacts to the environment, and marine life. “We are the sportsman’s paradise, we love our seafood and fish. Birds don’t know that it’s trash, they think it’s food and they eat it, and when you think about it we’re eating it, so we want to keep our waterways clean as well as the roads,” Richard added.
Councilwoman Jessica Domangue participated in the cleanup effort, saying the need for trash and debris removal in the community is immense following Hurricane Ida. “We definitely want to do our part by helping clean up, this event is about everyone stepping up and saying we’re going to clean our area and help out,” said Domangue. “It has been so overwhelming, especially since the storm just to be able to keep up with the trash and debris. Not only do we have to clean up our yards, but have to keep up with our community, and that’s what this is all about,” she also shared.
Richard said a cleanup is hosted once a year, but the organization is aiming to host the event more often, with the demand for trash and debris cleanups increasing since Hurricane Ida. “We do it once a year, but we want to do it more often, especially after the storm. We just really want people to take pride in the community and love where they live,” said Richard.
Keep Terrebonne Beautiful seeks a clean, green, and more beautiful Terrebonne Parish. For more information on future events, to donate, or to become a volunteer, visit the KTB website at http://keepterrebonnebeautiful.org/home.php