Citizens of Bogalusa are encouraged to volunteer their time next Saturday, as a city-wide cleanup day is held in all areas of the community.

The cleanup day will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, and volunteers are asked to meet in the Bogalusa High School parking lot off Willis Avenue. Organizers expect that the event will start around 9:15 a.m. with a prayer by pastor Chad Matthews, and then the volunteer groups will split up to clean up various parts of the city.

The cleanup event was scheduled for January to coincide with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and to serve as a “Day of Action.”

“I think this will be a way to help bring unity to the entire city,” said Debra Young, one of the event’s organizers. “We would like to build off of this and hold similar events throughout the year.”

Young said that there would be cleanup volunteer teams who will tackle areas in all five Bogalusa City Council districts. She said that the city council members representing each district would be spearheading the efforts in their areas.

Teddy Drummond, an at-large member of the Bogalusa City Council, noted that this is an excellent opportunity for citizens to earn service hours.

“It’s supposed to be a city-wide day of service,” he said. “We can all take pride in the beauty of our city.”

Organizers noted that there would likely be a special focus on the entrances into Bogalusa, in order to make it as attractive as possible to visitors.

Drummond said that volunteers should wear bright-colored clothing to stay safe from motor vehicle traffic. He also encouraged those who will be driving in the city on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 19, to drive slowly and keep an eye out for volunteers who may be working near the roads.

The plan is for all of the volunteer groups to re-unite at the BHS parking lot at Willis Avenue at the end of the event. It is tentatively scheduled to end about 1 p.m.