PRESS RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saturday, February 4, 2012 

CONTACT: Department of Public Works, 415-554-6926

PUBLIC WORKS FIRES UP TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON WITH COMMUNITY CLEAN TEAM KICKOFF EVENT 

Volunteers help paint murals, plant trees, and remove graffiti

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco Mayor Lee, Supervisor David Chiu, Supervisor Mark Farrell, city agencies, community and business leaders joined the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the more than 400 volunteers to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon by kicking off the City’s premier volunteer program, Community Clean Team.

“The Year of the Dragon is a special occasion and I can’t think of a better way to start off this auspicious year than keeping our City clean and beautiful,” said Mayor Ed Lee, “The dedicated volunteers at this event demonstrate the care and investment that our residents have for our world class city.” 

Volunteers kicked off the first Community Clean Team of the year at Portsmouth Square, in the heart of Chinatown. Chinese lion dancers greeted a 160-feet long dragon performed to the beat of the drum, gong and cymbal as volunteers and participants watched on. Today, volunteers beautified and cleaned up neighborhoods and parks throughout Chinatown, North Beach, Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow, Russian Hill, the Marina and other locations. Activities included mural painting, graffiti cleanup, landscaping, litter pickup, and other restoration projects in order to maintain the cleanliness of busy streets and corridors in Districts 2 and 3. A celebratory lunch was provided for volunteers after the work.

“Maintaining our neighborhoods is truly a community effort that requires partnerships between residents, organizations and city agencies. The amount of work we accomplish is a testament to the power of collaboration and the strength of our connections,” said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, whose district includes Chinatown.

“Last year along with my father, wife, son and daughter I participated in DPW’s Clean Team event. I look forward to another great day in the community, cleaning up and beatifying our neighborhoods,” said District Two Supervisor Mark Farrell. 

DPW partnered with Hilton, Emerald Fund, Walgreens, Luxor Cabs, Recology, PG&E, Clean City, Academy of Art University, Local 261, Luxor Cab, Starbucks, San Francisco Housing Authority, Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, SF Environment, San Francisco Parks Alliance, SF Unified School District, SF Recreation and Park Dept, and many others in addition to support from District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell, President of the Board of Supervisors and District 3 Supervisor David Chiu, and the Office of Mayor Ed Lee.

“Public Works is proud of the success of Clean Team and the volunteers that spare their Saturdays in the spirit of volunteerism,” said Mohammed Nuru, DPW’s Interim Director, “In its 12th year, Clean Team has made significant strides in each neighborhood. This year, our focus will be cleaning and greening our commercial corridors; where residents and visitors frequently patron our small businesses.”

There are seven Community Clean Team events in 2012. The events are organized every Saturday on the following dates: March 10 (Arbor Day), April 21 (Earth Day), may 19 (Public Works Week), June 9 (Summer Clean-Up), July 14 (Summer Youth Clean-Up, September 15 (Coastal Clean-Up), October 13 (Fleet Week). People can sign up to volunteer by emailing volunteer@sfdpw.org or calling (415) 641-2600 and 3-1-1. (Attached is schedule of upcoming events)

DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains city-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services. More information is available at www.sfdpw.org.

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