A new section of the Seaboard Coastline Trail was the scene of a big community cleanup on Dec. 3.

This soon-to-be-open section of trail was littered with large amounts of illegally dumped trash and debris. Organizers of the cleanup felt it was important to give back to the community by cleaning up the trail.

The Suffolk Litter Control Office in partnership with Suffolk Parks & Recreation, Keep Suffolk Beautiful, the Suffolk-Nansemond Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, Adopt-a-Street volunteers and the neighbors who live by the trail worked together to make the cleanup a reality.

Participants met that morning at the new trail parking lot and were provided equipment and gloves for use along the two-mile section of the trail. The refuse was collected on the new parking lot and made ready to be hauled off by the city’s Public Works Department Refuse Division later in the week.

“I was amazed at how awesome the volunteers were,” said Wayne Jones, litter control coordinator. “A special thank you needs to be said to Mike Lane of Keep Suffolk Beautiful, who brought his trailer and heavy lifting equipment, in addition to local resident Chris Murphy, who rallied the help of the neighborhood, and Ray Powell, president of the Izaak Walton League.  Everyone who showed up made a difference, and we thank them for making it a successful and fun event.”

Those interested in receiving notifications of future community cleanups can email littercontrol@suffolkva.us or call 514-7604. In addition, any Suffolk resident can organize their own community cleanup by contacting the litter control office, which will provide them with litter grabbers, bags, gloves and safety vests and organize collection of debris.