On Saturday, August 12, approximately 50 students and 15 adults took to the streets to sweep and tidy portions of the 86^th Street, Bay Parkway and 18^th Avenue shopping strips, as part of a cleanup organized by Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) and Susan Zhuang, who is currently on unpaid leave from her position as his chief of staff.

The cleanup began in front of 29 Bay 25^th Street. This time, the teams of volunteers focused on 86^th Street, between 18^th Avenue and 23^rd Avenue, Bay Parkway around Seth Low Park, and 18^th Avenue between 83^rd Street and Bath Avenue.

“The students did a fantastic job,” said Assemblyman Colton. “Residents and merchants in the area all benefit from their hours of hard work. Keeping the area clean is an important part of maintaining the neighborhood’s quality of life, and I am committed to doing my part on an ongoing basis.”

Besides benefiting the community, the cleanups also serve another critical function, Assemblyman Colton said. “These enthusiastic young people are all learning the importance of civic engagement,” he explained. “By participating in the cleanups, they get first-hand experience of the impact that they can have, and we are cultivating a generation of people who are committed and involved, and who will continue to work on behalf of the community for years to come.”

Assemblyman Colton and Zhuang have organized neighborhood cleanups focusing on local commercial areas for about 10 years. They occur several times a year. Another cleanup is scheduled to take place on August 26; plans are to target Kings Highway and Avenue U from West 13^th Street to Lake Street, as well as Bay Parkway from 86^th Street to Ceasar’s Bay.