Pepsi selected 16 New England communities to support with volunteer work crews.
WESTFIELD - The Amelia Park Children’s Museum and the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club will undergo a weekend cleanup by volunteers from the Pepsi beverage company.
The effort is part of a program that will send work crews and supplies to 16 New England communities.
A grant from Pepsi finances a crew of volunteers and supplies to do a spring cleanup of the properties in preparation for summer.
Diana McLean, vice president of the children’s museum, said the two organizations applied for the grant together. While there is no clear dollar amount attached, the Pepsi corporation selected 16 New England communities to support with volunteer work crews.
“They’re bringing a caravan of vehicles loaded with cleaning supplies and crews of volunteers,” she said.
The crews are expected to arrive at 9 a.m. and will get right to work “cleaning, weeding, sweeping, and working the grounds,” McLean said.
In addition to the volunteers from Pepsi, members of the community will also join the effort, and more are encouraged to participate.
Westfield’s Green Meadow Lumber is donating the mulch that will be used to beautify the properties, according to Jacklyn Parks, marketing and development director at the Boys and Girls Club.
The full day of hard work will be rewarded with a free catered barbecue lunch by Famous Dave’s Restaurant.
“The volunteers from Pepsi, as well as all those from the community, are invited to us for a barbecue immediately following the day’s work,” McLean said.
The cleanup is part of a Pepsi Corporation mission called Pepsi Supports Surrounding Towns program which has a goal “to help 16 selected towns in New England with a specific community project,” by donating time and manpower to local organizations, company officials said.
