Cornell students, including members of fraternities and sororities, and Collegetown residents will clean up the streets of Collegetown Saturday, Oct. 2. Activities include cleaning neighborhood sidewalks, streets, utility poles and open spaces.

Volunteers will gather in shifts beginning at 10 a.m. in front of The Nines at 311 College Ave. From there, teams of students and year-round residents will begin their cleanup effort on the streets of Ithaca's Collegetown neighborhood. Their efforts will include removing posters that have been placed illegally on utility poles.

Leading the campaign to get students involved is Heather Foulks, vice president for university and community relations of the Panhellenic Council at Cornell. According to Foulks, the cleanup is one of the largest community-service events organized by the fraternity and sorority system at Cornell.

"Although members of the Greek system on campus comprise the largest number of participants, students in Collegetown apartments also are encouraged to do their part in cleaning up the neighborhood in which they live," Foulks said.

She urged her fellow students to learn the proper use of recycling containers and to follow trash pickup regulations in Ithaca. "Avoiding littering in the first place would keep the neighborhood clean year-round," Foulks added.

Additional support for the cleanup effort is being provided by Collegetown businesses, the City of Ithaca Department of Public Works, the Collegetown Neighborhood Council and two Cornell offices -- Dean of Students and Community Relations.

Participation in this semiannual event is open to all interested members of the community. A Collegetown cleanup also takes place each spring.