From staff reports
L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE — St. Charles Parish is encouraging volunteer groups, schools, families and individuals to help clean and beautify the parish in October through its ongoing Trash Bash initiative.

The fall Trash Bash is a month-long effort to clean roadside litter and spruce up private yards, homes and businesses throughout the parish.

Volunteers will decide which areas they wish to clean, and some work supplies will be available upon signup.

This version of the cleanup will not feature an after-celebration, but volunteers will be eligible to win one of two Apple iPad minis — donated through a grant from Entergy — in an online photo contest.

Groups or individuals wishing to participate must sign up at scptrashbash.org using the form provided to be entered into the contest. Participants have until Oct. 31 to email photos of their cleanup or beautification project to publicinfo@stcharlesgov.net. Before and after photos and action photos are encouraged.

During the first week in November, all entries will be posted to the Trash Bash Facebook page at facebook.com/scptrashbash with a full description of each project.

After a period of five days after the posting date, the project with the most “likes” associated with its photo will win the 2014 Fall Trash Bash Photo Contest.

Trash Bash is also a great way for students to gain service hours required by their schools, churches or community organizations.

Group leaders can receive service hour certificates by emailing publicinfo@stcharlesgov.net or calling 985-783-5182.

In March, a total of 420 volunteers registered for the sixth annual spring 2014 Trash Bash, with 206 attending the after-party at the new Edward A. Dufresne Community Center.

A total of 218 bags of litter were collected filled with approximately 1,560 pounds of trash.