Marshalltown residents are challenged to get out and clean up the town tomorrow.

The Marshalltown LGBTQIA+ hosted Community Clean Up Challenge event encourages everyone to pick up trash from 10 a.m. to noon.

Event organizer Taylor Bear said anyone is welcome to join the challenge. There is no selected location in which people will meet for the clean-up. Bear will spend the first hour at the Hoglan Elementary playground and the Planet Fitness parking lot before proceeding to the north side of town. She will have trash bags and gloves on hand for participants.

“I see trash everywhere, for no reason,” Bear said. “No one is picking it up. It’s in grass, the trees. The challenge is to all of the folks to clean. You don’t need a group. Just get outside and pick up some trash. People should be proud of where they live, so why not Marshalltown?”

She hopes some people will take the challenge to public parks, such as Riverview and Anson, and playgrounds. Bear frequently takes her son to parks and will take a few minutes to pick up the litter.

“Why are people leaving their trash on the playgrounds where kids play?” she asked. “I see teens at the park, and encourage them to do better. There is always a trash receptacle, and it’s easy to pick it up and throw it away.”

Another location Bear hopes people will focus on is the downtown Marshalltown area. She said she sees a lot of trash near the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and is disappointed people are not picking it up.

Adults are not the only residents encouraged to participate. Bear said the clean-up can be made fun for children, as well. One way she said that can be done is turning the challenge into a race — whoever can pick up the most trash wins.

After creating the event and posting it on Facebook, Bear said the response was immediate. A Marshalltown cleaning service indicated participation, and will post selfies of their efforts. She hopes other participants will also post their efforts on social media, but stressed that is not required.

“The challenge is not about how much you can pick up, or who is doing the most,” Bear said. “It’s just getting out and doing something.”

There are plans to have future clean-up challenges, potentially before the next school year starts and winter hits, and she hopes the events will prompt residents to pick up litter all year round.

“It sucks to hear people complain this community is not what they want it to be,” Bear said. “I only see people clean some of the time, and we encourage people to do it all the time. That sentiment is really beautiful, and I think this community could use that.”

By hosting this event, and future clean-up challenges, she hopes the effort to spruce up the town will remain on residents’ minds.

“I hope the effort is on the hearts and minds of people,” Bear said. “I know a lot of people love Marshalltown. Wherever you are, pick up some trash

A drive to be more engaged in the community is what prompted the Marshalltown LGBTQIA+ group to host the Community Clean Up Challenge. Bear said it is an effort of Marshalltown LGBTQIA+ to give back in whatever way they can.

“I really wanted to do more events with us giving back to the community,” she said. “A lot of people can’t give money, but they can give time, energy and effort, and we want to give people that chance.”

They have also created the Walking Club, which begins April 3, and the Silent Book Club, starting in May. The events are also a chance for people to connect with others, possibly form new or stronger friendships and bring some positivity to the community, Bear added.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.