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The adage, it takes a village, is demonstrated frequently at Keep Austin Beautiful, but no time quite like Clean Sweep. On a Saturday morning each April, thousands of volunteers invest their time to clean and beautify Austin. To assist with this year’s Clean Sweep on Saturday, April 14, dozens of businesses are investing their resources. Like families and neighbors joining one another to build stronger communities, together, our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and staff form the extraordinary village capable of creating such an impactful event. It is the generous support of our sponsors and partners that makes this day possible, showing yet again that an investment in Keep Austin Beautiful is an investment in the Austin community.

Imagine lying down blindfolded in a clearing along the flowing Colorado River. You feel the grass under your hands and the cooling ground on your back. The air is crisp and you breathe deeply and let it fill your lungs. You hear the flow of the water, the howl of coyotes, and the chirps of crickets. You are still blindfolded. Ten minutes pass, and the entire group of 19 Green Teens from LBJ, Eastside and Travis High Schools lay in complete silence. When given the prompt to take off their blindfolds, they are awed. Above them is a clear sky, lit by a three-quarter moon. The constellations are in full view and look down on the teens as they look up at them. Fifteen minutes have now passed and the group is still silent.

A buzz of excitement was in the air and we hadn’t even begun. It was nearing 9 a.m. and as groups of people arrived, not a single person was complaining about being out and about so early on a Saturday. As the crowd grew, so did the excitement! We all gathered along Shoal Creek ready for Keep Austin Beautiful Clean Sweep 2013.