Last Wednesday the other interns and I participated in a Clean Sweep of Utica lead by Mayor Robert Palmieri. This is a program that gets people out onto the streets of Utica to tidy up the area so that it looks nicer. The mayor has been doing this for years and says that it is really beneficial to the city of Utica. He says that the community really appreciates the work that is done and they even come out and help when they see them go by. The mayor is accompanied by police, firemen, and other city officials to really recognize the need to clean. Other volunteers regularly help out which makes the process go by faster and more efficiently.
As Utica's Technology Company®, the Indium Corporation has been a supporter of this project and has taken a role in helping the mayor. On Wednesday we helped the clean sweep by cleaning up trash along the Boilermaker race route. The Boilermaker is a road race that is famous in the Utica area, it is one Sunday that everyone either watches their friends and family run or participates themselves. 14,000 people register for the 15k event. After the Boilermaker there is a concert at the Saranac Brewery where the race ends. So, it is a major event in the Utica area, making the importance of the clean sweep higher than it usually is. We followed all 9.3 miles and picked up trash where we could. This was a very rewarding experience because it felt good knowing that I helped make the path safer and cleaner for everyone who ran and watched.