Volunteers from the community and Iowa State will help pick up litter and debris in Campustown on April 5 as part of the Make Campustown Shine event.

The program, which is held by the Campustown Action Association and sponsored by The Fighting Burrito, was started last year.

“We’re really excited to be sponsoring the event,” said Treasure Jones, a manager at The Fighting Burrito.

The event has drawn student volunteers from Iowa State in the past, such as Alpha Phi Omega and Delta Chi. A community planning and design class taught by Carlton Basmajian, assistant professor of community and regional planning, will be volunteering at the event.

Make Campustown Shine typically runs from March to November, said Kim Hanna, the Campustown Action Association director. Volunteers meet on Saturdays at 9 a.m. to clean up the Campustown area.

“We provide all of the clean up equipment,” Hanna said. “You just need to come in clothes you’re comfortable in and possibly getting dirty in.”

The Campustown Action Association provides water and snacks for the volunteers and gives instructions on which areas of the district to focus on.

There are several Shines scheduled throughout the spring and into the fall. The next event, which will be April 13, gives volunteers the chance to clean up Campustown following the conclusion of Veishea activities.

The April 13 event is scheduled to begin earlier in the morning, at 7:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., to allow volunteers to pick up all of the debris from Veishea before church services start.

“It benefits everybody to have it picked up and nice and shiny again for Sunday morning,” Hanna said.

There are also perks for volunteers at the event who aren’t afraid of being grossed out.

“The person who finds the grossest thing gets a free Campustown Action Association T-shirt,” Hanna said. She went on to say that volunteers have found interesting things during pick-ups, such as extremely expired take-out food.

Make Campustown Shine is open to individuals and organizations in the community, and there is no limit to the number of volunteers who can participate.

“We’ve had Shines with three people and Shines with 50 people,” Hanna said.

The clean-up events are also a unique way for fraternities and sororities to become members of the Campustown Action Association. The association is offering membership via hours to any student organizations that are interested.

“It’s a great way to get community service hours and be a part of our organization,” Hanna said.

There are eight Make Campustown Shine events scheduled throughout the spring and into the fall. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to visit the Campustown Action Association website, amescampustown.com, to view the schedule and inquire about volunteering.

Interested participants can email Hanna at [email protected] to sign up for a Shine.