The Atchison Beautification Council, a sub-committee of the Atchison Chamber of Commerce, conducts cleaning of the community of Atchison each fall and spring. After a successful Education Day in 2006 the council has decided to continue having this complimentary activity along with the fall Clean-Up, to provide students with hands-on experience to better understand the importance of the Missouri River in their lives and in their community.
The Beautification Councils mission is to assist and encourage the citizens of Atchison County to work together to improve the appearance of the Atchison Area. Some goals of the council include organizing two major clean-up projects during the year and to educate residents in keeping the community clean and involve citizens in taking pride in their community. These events are county-wide projects that include volunteers from the business sector, the education community, the private sector, and multiple agencies and groups. It is truly a community event.
The Beautification Council hopes that the Missouri River Education Day will help to build a greater understanding in the local youth of the importance of the river in their lives and in their community. The Council hopes to teach the youth to become better stewards of the river and of their community, and preserve it for generations to come.
This is the second time the Atchison community has held a Missouri River Education Day. Last year the council hoped after hosting the event the community would see how inspiring, fun and educational the day is for the volunteers, exhibitors and especially the children. I know that they have because thanks to their help we will be able to fund this event this year.