Akwesasne Roadside Clean Up Day

Akwesasne Roadside Clean Up Day

Niawenkó:wa Akwesasró:non! Everyone give yourselves a pat on the back. Sonkwaiatí:son (Our Creator) is smiling on us, seeing his children picking up trash and taking care of Mother Earth. Who says Ahkwesáhsne has no community spirit? We really proved we have it on Saturday, April 27th. We had dedicated and caring community members that participated on such a cold day. The Roadside Cleanup event may be over, but let’s not forget our responsibility to keeping Mother Earth clean. If we all do our duty, then someday the Cleanup Day will not be needed. Come on Akwesasne! It’s time we act like the people we say we are!

The Ahkwesáhsne Task Force on the Environment, the SRMT Environment Division, the MCA Department of Environment, and the Haudenosaunee Task Force on the Environment would like to thank the following groups and individuals, because without them, our clean up day would not have happened.

Trash committee: Margaret George, Craig Arquette, Loretta David, Amberdawn Lafrance, Jacob Terrance, and Marlene Thompson.

Donations of Food: Cooks Greenery, T-19 Sports, AK-Gas, Lois Terrance, Catherine Cook, Teres Seymour, Agnes Jacobs, Alice Thompson, Brenda Lafrance, and Amberdawn Lafrance

Donations of Door Prizes: SRMT Air Quality Program, Home Depot Massena, On A Roll Deli, Veni Vidi Vici, Hill Top Rental, Ehsa Environmental, Akwesasne Housing Authority, Spinner’s Pizzeria, Brass Horse Pizzeria, Three Feathers, IPP Program, Pizza Hut Cornwall, He & She Hair Styling, Uniglass Plus/Ziebart, The Squire Shop, Food Basics, No Frills, Physical Limits, Fantastic Cleaners, Wendy’s Cornwall, Wal-Mart Cornwall, McDonald’s Cornwall, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Can 8, Roxie’s Island Bistro, Philos Restaurant & Pizzeria Cornwall, Tim Horton’s Cornwall, Cornwall Square Shoe Repair, Bulk Barn, Bank of Montreal, Native North American Travelling College, Jock’s Kwik Stop, Cornwall Square Administration Office, Cornwall Civic Complex, and Akwesasne Sports. Monetary Donations: Akwesasne Community Assistance Fund, CKON Radio Bingo, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Seaway International Bridge, Sons of American Legion, Twin Leaf, Ehsa Environmental, Jeri Jacobs, Truck Stop #9 and NYSDOT for paying the tipping fees.

Truck Divers and Helpers: NYS DOT, Margaret George, Marlene Thompson, Setanta O’Ceillaigh, Riccardo Najar, Troy Arquette, Francis Arquette, Loretta David, Rachel George, Mark George, Sierra George, Paul Leaf, Dave Arquette, Noah Point, and Harvey Arquette.

We would also like to give special thanks to the following departments for the use of their trucks: SRMT Solid Waste Department; SRMT Environment Division, MCA Environment, and NYSDOT. We would like to thank D & R Disposal and SRMT Solid Waste Department for setting up dumpsters. Special thanks go to Tarbell Management Group for providing gas for all the trucks picking up trash and to the Senior Center for providing the use of their facilities. We would also like to thank Amberdawn Lafrance, Margaret George and Loretta David for organizing the door prizes. If we have forgotten anyone, we are very sorry.

The list of winners of the Annual Roadside Cleanup is as follows:

1st Prize $250.00 Intensive Preventative Program

2nd Prize $200.00 Skidder’s Crew

3rd Prize $150.00 Akwesasne Freedom School

A total of 22 teams, including the Island, signed up this year. The total of bags picked up is 935.