Volunteers sought for Canal Clean Sweep events in Orleans County

Photos by Tom Rivers: Holley students and community volunteers expanded their community cleanup last year on May 17 to include working on the landscaping by the tank at the Holley VFW post. The group reset memorial bricks, put down mulch and yanked out a lot of weeds.

Volunteers are welcome for Canal Clean Sweep events in Orleans County and other canal communities in the state.

The events are planned in alignment with the Parks & Trails New York annual state-wide Earth Day Canal Clean Sweep. Most of the events are April 17 to 19, but not all are in that time frame.

Holley has one of the biggest clean sweep efforts, with more than 100 students in the EarlyAct and Interact Clubs taking the lead in picking up trash along the canal and also on village streets and parks.

Holley calls it a “Day of Impact” and it will be from 10 a.m. to noon on May 17. This year’s clean sweep is in honor of Eric Fredendall, a Holley grad and U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran who passed away at age 46 on Feb. 17 after a battle with cancer.

The “Day of Impact” begins at the elementary school parking lot at 10 a.m. before the volunteers disperse into the community.

Adam Burgio, an Albion student, picks up litter and trash near the railroad tracks by Platt Street on April 19, 2025 during a Canal Clean Sweep event. The Albion Rotary Club and Interact Club at the school filled 19 garbage bags with a total weight of 307 pounds.

Other clean sweep events registered on the Park and Trails website in Orleans County include:

Albion – April 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at Tinsel (Lockstone) and participants will receive free ice cream, gloves and trash bags.

Holley – April 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers will meet in the pavilion at the Canal Park Trail in Holley and will be provided with light breakfast refreshments before cleaning begins. This event is coordinated by the Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District & Orleans County Tourism.

Medina – April 25 from 9 a.m. to noon (with rain date on May 2). The Medina Lions Club welcomes people on the park on the east side of the canal near the lift bridge on the north side of the Medina village. Participants will clean up the trash and mulch the trees, bushes, sculptures and ground signs.

Medina – April 17 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Medina Junior Senior High School Student IMPACT Club will be picking up litter along the canal, beginning near Ryan Street.

There is time for other groups to register for cleanup events along the canal, too. Click here for more information.