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JCSO partners with city, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated to "Klean" Pine Bluff up

02/08/2021

Kappa Klean.jpg
Members of the Gamma Sigma Chapter and Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated along with members of Kappa League, Kappa's national guide right national service program  collect trash along McFadden Road as part of the "Kappa Kleans"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

Alicia Dorn

Communications Director/Public Information Officer

870.541.5351-OFFICE/870.329.5638-CELL

Email: alicia.dorn@jeffcoso.org

JCSO partners with city, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated to "Klean" Pine Bluff up: Jefferson County, Arkansas - February 08, 2021 - Cleaning for a cause.

That's what members of the Gamma Sigma Chapter and Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated along with members of Kappa League, the fraternity's guide right national service program joined together to do Saturday as part of the organization's new initiative--- Kappa Kleans. More than 20 members walked McFadden Road west of the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex with garbage bags in hand to rid city streets, ditches, and thoroughfares of unsightly trash.

"It's imperative for the health of the environment and our community that we do our best to stop the illegal pollution of our community," said Lafayette Woods, Jr., Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi vice- polemarch and Jefferson County Sheriff. "It's illegal to throw litter in your yard, streets, or in public places. So, please use trash cans or recycling totes."

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office decided to partner with members of Kappa Alpha Psi and Kappa League to aid in its effort to keep Pine Bluff beautiful. It's an ongoing effort that Woods believes everyone has a role in doing.

"Garbage thrown on the ground does not simply disappear," he said. "If not disposed of properly, trash eventually contaminates the soil and water. Healthy soil and water are needed for growing food and clean drinking water."

Woods insists that his constituents have expressed the need for more events throughout the city aimed at trash collecting, which was another reason his office made the choice to back the "Kappa Kleans" initiative.

"As the Chapter Advisor of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., it was a pleasure for young men to participate with the collaborative and community effort of Kappa Kleans," said Ray Walker of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. "Relationships were built as we picked up unsightly trash. The three, Pine Bluff Alumni, Gamma Sigma, and Kappa League became one for the City of Pine Bluff."    

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the City of Pine Bluff will offer ongoing liter pickup events throughout the year.

"We must remember that strong communities attract tourism and jobs," said Woods. "Tourists and businesses are attracted to clean and beautiful cities with people who care about where they live. Attracting tourism and new businesses is important to the local community, creating more employment opportunities and higher-paying jobs."

Chilling temps and blistering winds didn't stop the young men and mentors from collecting nearly two dozen bags collected, weighing a total of approximately 440 lbs, and removing junk from main streets where oftentimes furniture and other household items have been discarded. Woods encourages residents to "respect future generations" and insists that if that doesn't happen, nature's beauty will get "destroyed" thus robbing future generations of the "opportunity to experience the natural world" that people enjoy now.

"For the well-being of your community, be a good citizen," he said. "Graffiti, litter, and illegal dumping destroy the beauty of our communities. It is our responsibility to throw trash in its proper place and teach our neighbors to care for our environment."

For more information on how to assist with "Kappa Kleans" or to report trash in the area, visit www.jeffcoso.org.