We are thrilled to announce our 3rd annual Cleanup Challenge, which will take place in April. The Cleanup Challenge is a yearly event that Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful host’s during a one-week period from April 19 – April 25. This coincides with Earth Day, which is on April 22. During that week, we ask locals to form teams and go out and pick up trash around their community. It’s a great opportunity for people to get outside, get some exercise, and do something good for their community. After the event, we will award prizes to winning teams and have a celebration to thank everyone for their hard work. We believe that this event not only helps clean up our community but also builds community spirit and pride.
Last year, the event was a great success, with 23 teams competing and nearly 600 people between them. We collected 354 bags of trash and 207 larger items (almost double the previous year!) such as tires from various parts of Soddy-Daisy, including Lovell Rd, Dallas Hollow, Sequoyah Access, W Ridge Trail Rd, Mountain Rd, Montlake Rd, North Chick Creek Trailhead, Lee Pike, Mt. Tabor, Frontage Rd, Dayton Pike, Durham St and Daisy Elementary campus.
Our partners last year included the City of Soddy-Daisy, Public Works and Police, TVA.
In addition to the Cleanup Challenge, we’re also hosting the first-ever North Hamilton County Recycling Event on April 20th at Soddy Lake Park from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. Bring your mattresses, electronics, batteries, inkjet cartridges, and sneakers for proper recycling. The Sequoyah Recycling Center will also have extended hours from April 22nd to April 27th, and will be accepting tires for a small fee during this time. By participating in these events, you can help keep our community clean and prevent illegal dumping. Get all the details about the recycling event and how to participate here.
This event is open to all residents in Hamilton County, TN and the surrounding areas. We invite you, your family, friends, school, club, church or business to compete for prizes to see which team can cleanup the most trash in Hamilton County.
Schedule of Events
- Now: Teams are forming. Make sure and create yours now!
- Starting April 17: Checkout trash bags, safety vests and other cleanup supplies from us.
- April 19 – April 25: Go out and cleanup with your team!
- April 26 – Celebrate with us with refreshments, prizes and a trophy for the winning team.
Contest Rules
There’s really only a few rules.
- You must create your team online. Even if its just you, you need to register your team.
- Safety first. Read the safety guidelines BEFORE you and your team venture out to do a cleanup.
- Wait until April 19 before you do your cleanup(s). Do your cleanup any time between April 19 and April 25. You can do multiple cleanups throughout the week if you wish. At the end of the week, we add up all your bags/tires/etc from all your cleanups.
- In order to be eligible for the contest your team must submit each cleanup’s information (after you finish a cleanup), including photos (of bags and items collected and a photo of your team in the field). We also need to know WHERE you cleaned up, especially if you need help with disposal. You can check out the disposal options here.
- Bags and items collected will be calculated based on size and/or weight and its solely up to the Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful team on how to calculate them for contest purposes. For example, if a bag is really full, we may count it as 1 and 1/2 bags. If a bag is really low, we may count it as a 1/2. We want to be as fair as possible.
- Any bags/tires you find you can just leave off to the side of the road. Be sure that they do not impede traffic.
Team Signup / Portal
Create your team online in order to be eligible to compete for prizes, get cleanup supplies, get help with disposal, etc.
Already created your team? You can manage your team, submit cleanups, and more here.
Team List
Here are a list of the teams that have signed up so far and where they plan to do their cleanups. You should consider doing your cleanup at a safe area that has not been claimed already.
Submit your cleanup(s)
You will need photos, team member count, location and bag count so be sure to take down those details as you do your cleanups.
Checkout cleanup supplies
You can checkout (and return) clean up supplies such as trash bags, trash grabbers, safety vests and gloves at any of these locations and times. If you have any trouble finding a location, feel free to text or call Nate at 541-414-4660.
Celebration
This year we will have a small celebration at the Soddy Lake park pavilion on April 26 (Friday) from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. 190 Depot St Soddy-Daisy TN 37379
Refreshments (last year provided by New York Pizza Department), prizes and a trophy will be awarded to teams. All team members (and family members) are more than welcome to join us for the celebration.
Awards
- Most Trash Collected award
The team that collects the most overall trash will win this award and be named the winners of the 2024 Cleanup Challenge. - The Most Trash Collected (per team member) award
Teams can be made up of one individual or hundreds or people. In order to calculate this award, the number of bags will be divided by the number of team members. - The Most Bizarre Trash Item award
Found something ridiculous on your cleanup like a pair of duck feet slippers or a Ronald McDonald head? Take a photo and submit it for the Most Bizarre Trash item award. - The Largest Trash Item award
Found a mattress, couch or something else huuuge? Submit it for Largest Trash Item award.
FAQ’s
1. Put all of your bags and trash items together in a pile on the side of the road (just off the road). If you are cleaning along a long portion of a road and its not realistic to gather them all into one pile, try to make two or three piles with multiple bags each. Make sure bags are tied closed as well. Do not overfill.
2. Take one or more pictures of each pile.
3. Submit those photos and additional details here.
4. Dispose of the trash.
Don’t worry about trying to bag up large or awkward items such as tires or mattresses that don’t fit well in bags. Just set them next to one of your filled trash bags and take a picture of the item. Large items will count toward your total bag count so be sure to keep a count of them as well.
There is no limit. You can be a team of one or one thousand.
We will make these items available to your team before (and during) the event.
Typically we just throw them away. Most recyclables that we find have degraded so much over time, or they are contaminated with food or dirt, and cannot be recycled. If you find some that look clean and in good condition you are welcome to recycle them on your own. The Seqouyah Recycling Center is a great place to do that.
Sponsors and Donations
We need the support of sponsors to help cover the costs associated with the Cleanup Challenge. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please reach out to us directly, or visit the following page for more information.
Sponsor the Cleanup Challenge
Thank you to last years sponsors:
North Hamilton County Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
The vision of the North Hamilton County Council is to assist businesses, non-profits, educators, and government officials to strengthen community relationships to see NHC Flourish as a great place to live and work.The LeBlanc Group
“I help people protect what matters most – their family. As a life insurance agent, I provide financial security to families in case of unexpected life events. I work with my clients to find the right policy that fits their unique needs and budget. Whether you’re a young family just starting out or an established couple planning for retirement, I’m here to provide peace of mind and security for your loved ones. Simultaneously, I empower others to develop and grow themselves to become a successful entrepreneur within the financial services world, to provide legacy and financial freedom. “
Donate to the Cleanup Challenge
If you would just like to provide a donation to help cover costs, we appreciate it very much and you can do so here.
Flyers
Challenge your family, friends, businesses, churches, schools or even your local government!
Print one of the flyers below.