Since April 22, 1970, the world has celebrated Earth Day as an annual reminder of celebrating the planet and generating support for environmental protection measures.
In Lawrence, COVID-19 has once again forced the cancellation of the annual Earth Day celebrations (including the parade). But city leaders are encouraging people to celebrate Earth Day in their own ways, and have put together events during the month of April that don’t require as much physical gathering.
Cans for the Community — All month long
Cans for the Community, a Lawrence group that’s been collecting aluminum cans in town since 2005, is hoping to gather 5,000 pounds (or 167,000 cans) during the month of April.
All proceeds will be donated to the 14 elementary schools in USD 497, and cans can be dropped off at the group’s “can houses” at the following locations:
- Checkers, 2300 Louisiana Street
- Dillons, 1015 W 23rd Street
- Dillons, 4701 W 6th Street
- Hillcrest Shopping Center, 9th and Centennial Drive
- Hy-Vee, 6th and Monterey Way
- Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Parkway
- Immanuel Lutheran Church, 15th (Bob Billings Pkwy) and Iowa Street
- Lawrence Memorial Hospital, north of main entrance on Arkansas Street
- Miller Mart, Wakarusa Drive and Clinton Parkway
- On The Rocks, 1818 Massachusetts Street
- Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 New Hampshire Street
People of Color in Green Spaces Webinar Series & Project — noon Wednesday, April 21
This isn’t an event specific to Lawrence, but is organized by Seattle’s Green Fleet Program. It seeks to bring together students from historically Black colleges and universities and community organizers to discuss how climate change impacts BIPOC lives and is changing future job opportunities.
More information can be found at gtsummitexpo.com/pocigs.
7th Annual Kansas River Cleanup in Lawrence — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 24
Friends of the Kaw and its partners – the City of Lawrence, the Lawrence Community Shelter, and The Merc Coop – will hold the 7th Annual Kansas River Cleanup at the riverbank below Bowersock dam in Lawrence on Saturday morning.
The group will meet in the city parking lot at North 2nd Street and Locust Street where teams will be selected to clean the north and south banks.
Participants are asked to RSVP, which can be done here, and wear sturdy shoes that can get dirty, as well as bring gloves and drinking water. Extra water will be available, as well as snacks from The Merc.
A full list of city Earth Day events can be found here. Do you have an event not on either list? Let us know at hello (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com.
