In recent years, downtown Washington merchants have taken a few hours on a Saturday afternoon in March to clean the area and spruce it up for spring and summer.

Scott Campbell, an agent with Century 21 The Realty Group, developed the idea of spending a day cleaning up the downtown area about three years ago.

“What it is really is a quick way to getting the downtown area cleaned up for the spring season,” he said. “About three years ago, just before the first Music in the Streets (event for that year) happened is when it started. It’s just getting volunteers to go around and pick up trash around town.”

Campbell said volunteers usually start the cleanup process the last Saturday in March because, usually, it’s not too cold outside.

“This year, it will be in conjunction with Century 21,” he said. “And since I’m one of the many who work downtown, we really like to promote the downtown area and keep it looking nice. So, we’re going to plant out in front of our storefront.”

Campbell said he and others will help other downtown businesses clean up their areas.

“And the city’s really great with helping us,” he said. “I’ve talked to Kristi Hardison, and every year they give us bags, pick-up sticks, rakes, shovels, gloves and all sorts of stuff.”

Campbell said volunteers will meet at the red caboose next to the Civic Center at 9 a.m. March 26, when they will be given their assignments for the cleanup project.

“The garden clubs always participate, and they get out there and start planting up their planters, as well as the Washington Area Historic Foundation participates,” he said.

Campbell said the foundation and its garden club prefer to work on Water Street because they have sort of adopted that area as their territory to clean each spring.

“We (Century 21) sort of clean up right down on Main Street as our general area,” he said. “So, we always encourage anybody if they’ve got a spot that they like to put a little effort into, if they’d like to adopt that spot, then just show up at the caboose, get your equipment and go down to your spot and just do a general tidy up.”

Campbell said volunteers come and go during the cleanup effort, with many volunteers helping wherever and for as long as they can.

“The longest it’s ever gone was two or three o’clock in the afternoon,” he said. “But you can spend an hour or whatever time you can volunteer and help out.”

Campbell said Century 21 will provide hot dogs and soft drinks to volunteers. The items will be available at the Century 21 patio next to Union Alley, which is next to the Inner Banks Artisans’ Center.

“Last year, Whimsy donated water to the volunteers, as it becomes a quick community effort,” he said. “Last year, a few people adopted the Washington Civic Center area and cleaned it up really good. And it’s great because you don’t need to reserve, you don’t need to call. You just need to show up.”

Campbell said the cleanup effort does not include heavy lifting, just picking up paper, sweeping walkways, scooping leaves and such.

“As it was windy last week, there’s just a lot of stuff out there that needs to be picked up,” he said.