Local litter pick-up organizer hopes to go statewide

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
By GEOFF RANDS/Staff writer

It's been more than 30 years since David Kemm initiated the litter pick-up event Take Pride in Marshall, and this year is expanding the event, now calling it Take Pride in Missouri.

"Little towns could use a good cleaning, also," he said.

He already has plans to do cleanup days in Marshall, Sweet Springs, Slater and Malta Bend, and asked that any other communities interested in holding a similar event contact him.

This year in Marshall, the event will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 4, in the parking lot of the City Office Building. From there, participants will split into smaller groups and travel through town, picking up litter as they go.

Lunch will be provided at Indian Foothills Park at noon, where Kemm will give away several trees as well.

At 2:30 p.m., Kemm will hold a tree-planting ceremony at Marshall High School. Among others, he plans to plant one in memory of Stephanie Rapp, who was killed at age 15 in a car wreck in July 2008. Kemm hopes to have help with the cleanup from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, MVC students and community members who participate in the Adopt a Highway and Stream Team programs.

Last year, 87 people came to help clean up, reported The Marshall Democrat-News, and this year, Kemm expects even more to come.

Anyone 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult, Kemm said. The rain date for the event in Marshall is Saturday, April 11. To contact Kemm for more information or to make a donation, call 660-831-0676.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net

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Thanks so much for this...it will mean alot to our family that you thought of our daughter.

-- Posted by stephssedaliafamily on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, at 11:13 AM

Now that is a local story that is good to see. If I still resided in Marshall I could not resist being a part of the clean up. Congratulations Mr. Kemm for your endeavor this year, and your efforts in all the years before.

-- Posted by Oklahoma Reader on Tue, Mar 17, 2009, at 11:14 PM

Thank you for all your hard work, David!

-- Posted by born-n-raised on Tue, Mar 17, 2009, at 4:28 PM

David Kemm should be our mayor!!!!!!!!!!

-- Posted by 17mizzou17 on Tue, Mar 17, 2009, at 3:09 PM