Rockford businesses join forces to clean up Midtown on Earth Day

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Around the world, people are giving Mother Nature a little extra care in celebration of Earth Day, the annual event that encourages support for environmental action.

A few Rockford businesses took part in cleaning up Midtown, an effort that began with Ernie’s Midtown Pub.

“Midtown’s really important to us. It’s a pretty criminally underserved area of the city,” said Adam Barnett. “We wanted to be involved in some sort of a community clean up.”

Ernie’s Pub reached out to Mayor Tom McNamara for help.

“So, Public Works said ‘yes, we’re going to make sure we supply all the cleanup supplies,'” said Barb Chidley, Rockford’s Neighborhood Specialist. “And, we try to identify some of the areas that needed the most assistance. We’re just so happy that you’re doing this, that any little bit helps.”

Dozens of volunteers, including from other Midtown businesses, helped pick up trash around the area.

“It is so critical that we have people who are willing to help beautify the city. The more love that we can show to our neighborhoods in our areas of the city, the better it is for all of us who live and work and play in Rockford,” Rich Wolter, of the Bucciferro Family McDonald’s, said.

Organizers said they hope the event can show the power of community, not just on Earth Day, but every day.

“It’s not just people in the neighborhood and we have people traveling from other different parts of Rockford to come over here and help out. At the same time, we’re encouraging them to take this to other parts of town, to their own neighborhoods. And it’s something that anybody can do. Anybody can organize. It’s great the city is helping, but this could also just be a completely volunteer thing in your part of town or any other part of town,” Barnett said.