PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release       

Contact: (415) 554-6930

February 2, 2010

Volunteer with Your Valentine for Chinese New Year

 A weeklong cleanup effort to help beautify San Francisco’s historic Chinatown neighborhood to begin

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Department of Public Works (DPW) will launch an extensive, public and private weeklong cleaning program-a ‘super eco blitz’ - the week of February 8th to help clean up Chinatown and get ready for Chinese New Year. 

The Chinatown Super Eco Blitz is the second in a series of cleanup programs aimed to support important merchant corridors during these challenging economic times, keeping them clean and inviting for visitors and shoppers. The first cleanup event was held in Union Square before the Christmas shopping season. The department will sponsor programs South of Market and around AT&T Ballpark in April and Fisherman’s Wharf before the summer tourist season.

A large volunteer event, Volunteer with Your Valentine for Chinese New Year, will be held on Friday, February 12 from 9 am to 1 pm at the North Ping Yuen Housing Development at 838 Pacific Avenue at Stockton after a weeklong effort by city departments to make improvements to the neighborhood. Volunteers will work alongside local businesses, residents, and school children to plant trees, work at gardens in public housing, clean up parks and schools, paint over graffiti, and pick up litter along the Chinese New Year parade route.

During the week of February 8th, city agencies will fill potholes, conduct special inspections for sidewalk safety, clean tree basins, paint curbs, remove graffiti, and paint litter receptacles.

City departments have already cleaned the Stockton Tunnel, steam cleaned the Chinatown Gateway at Grant Avenue and have begun repairing the dragon lights on Grant Avenue. A pilot graffiti removal program in Chinatown has cleaned 90 properties and distributed 86 graffiti removal kits to merchants in Chinatown.

DPW is partnering with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chinatown Community Development Center, Hilton Hotel-Financial District, Recology, the mayor’s office, the Board of Supervisors, the City Administrator’s Office, Clean City, SF Housing Authority, Municipal Transportation Agency, SF Public Utilities Commission, local schools, and many community and city partners.

For information: www.sfdpw.org.  To volunteer, email volunteer@sfdpw.org.

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