- Create a team, partner with community groups and/or neighbors.
- Pick a site. Maybe you have one in mind already. If not, find publicly owned land along the river
for your cleanup, like a park or municipal property. Consider parking options, and a large enough
gathering space to speak to all volunteers at once. - Contact the site’s landowner. Discuss your plan and ask if their organization would co-sponsor
the event (and waive any permit fees). - Register your cleanup with Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR). Call us about assisting with
permits and additional insurance as needed 815 356 6605. - Announce your Cleanup. FOTFR will post your event on social media, put out a press release,
and send mass mailings. Market your event in through your channels too. - Raise money and/or get donations. You may want to provide volunteers with snacks or maybe
even a free lunch. Ask your city council, your local elected representative, the Chamber of
Commerce, national retailers like Walmart or Target, and local businesses for donations and/or
supplies. Use the provided sponsorship letter template, if practical. - Get the trash picked up. Often your town, township or other public land owner has the equipment
and manpower. You may have to reach out to a waste hauler for a donation or coordinate with
neighbors to place collected trash in residential receptacles. In many cases, participants can take
small amounts to dispose of at home. - Run the Cleanup. Set up a registration table. Welcome and register volunteers. Organize them into
teams. Hand out supplies. Deliver the safety talk. Take photos. - Thank everyone! Offer verbal thanks the day of the event. FOTFR will send thank you emails to
all volunteers. - Send your registration sheets, photos and an event summary to info@friendsofthefoxriver.org and
contribute your event’s data to the larger trash collection and volunteer totals.
