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Citizens young and old came together for a two-day spring cleaning as part of the Great Suffolk Clean-Up.

The Friday and Saturday March 24-25 event, saw mothers and their daughters, high school students and even city staff members come out to pick up trash and litter polluting the streets of Suffolk.

Suffolk resident and mom Rebecca Nairn was proud that she and her daughter joined the clean up.

“I love Suffolk and I think that it is our job as humans and citizens to pick up the trash that people throw out,” Nairn said.  “We’re actually picking up a lot of trash bags and supplies and we’re going to deliver them to our neighbors to pick up too. They don’t know yet, but they’re going to love it!”

Her daughter Allie shared her desire to help support the Earth.

“God just made it special for us,” Allie said. “We’re helping clean up the Earth of what people throw on the ground, like plastic, and Chick-fil-A.” 

Local students Heaven and Damarian and Suffolk resident Franck Jusino joined city staff member Jennifer Sorensen and her friend, April Zirbes, for the cleanup.

“I like driving through my city. I don’t like seeing it trashed out, so I do this quite often on my own,” said Jusino. “I know where to look where all the trash is at. I usually go towards the ditches and stuff. I got the proper gear for… just in case those copperheads, those black snakes want to come out and help too.”

Sorensen thanked the numerous residents “beeping” horns to support their work. 

“It’s nice to see the community come together, taking pride in our city,” Sorensen said Saturday.

Suffolk residents Gary Barlow and Justin Ferguson worked together in cleaning up a downtown neighborhood to “keep the city looking good,” as Barlow said during the event.

Suffolk citizen Tanya Hobbs also participated in the event with the Nansemond Brewing Station. 

The main reason?

“For my daughter, as well as doing something kind for the town,” Hobbs said while cleaning up East Washington Street, “to make Suffolk beautiful, and to bring people downtown.”

Keep Suffolk Beautiful, the local chapter of Keep America Beautiful, said there were more than 1,300 people who had signed up for the clean up in a Friday Facebook post with more expected to take part.