Citizen of Box Elder bring new meaning to the phrase spring cleaning

BOX ELDER, S.D. (KOTA) - When the phrase “spring cleaning” comes to mind, you might think it’s time to give your home a good cleanse, but what about helping out your city?

Taking spring cleaning to another level, the citizens of Box Elder are on a mission to beautify their city.

More than 100 people, from residents to members of local businesses and organizations, came out for the annual “Cleaning up the Box” on Thursday.

The community event spanned across the city as volunteers spent the morning picking up trash, garbage, and debris.

Matthew Connor, public information officer for Box Elder, says having the clean-up instills a sense of pride within the community.

”This is the gateway to the Black Hills. We have the beautiful scenery of the Black Hills behind us, and it’s just a contradiction to have trash along the road to have wrappers and empty sandwich wrappers all over the city,” added Connor.

Connor also said volunteers picked up 2.3 tons of trash last year, and they are hoping to top this number by collecting at least 3 tons.