KCRC’s Adopt-A-Road Turns 25
Since 1990, the Kent County Road Commission’s Adopt-a-Road program has invited community volunteers to keep their favorite corridors litter-free. Celebrating its 25th anniversary on July 24, 2015, the program has grown to encompass over 200 stretches of roadway cleaned by a wide range of groups including families, community organizations, and businesses. Supporters adopt specific roads for myriad reasons: as a simple philanthropic gesture, to support the area in which they live, to serve the community where they own a business, or to honor the memory of a loved one. Regardless of the reason, the work conducted exemplifies the positive collaborative spirit shared between KCRC and the community it serves.
This past May, the Richmond family of Lowell, Michigan, demonstrated how “fun” roadside clean-up can be by inviting extended family members to volunteer for this effort in front of the family farm. In loving memory of the family’s patriarch and matriarch, Jerrold and Diane Richmond, the impressive clean-up crew, totaling 22 children and 10 adults, spent the day clearing debris, sharing laughs and recounting fond memories.
“We adopted the road we grew up on in honor of Mom and Dad,” explained Andrea Richmond Wirgau. “I’m very proud and pleased to see their names every time I turn towards home. They both deeply respected the land, and we are able to carry on their legacy by caring for it today and in the future - something so simple, yet powerful.”
Groups of 7 or more interested in adopting a road may apply by submitting an Adopt-A-Road Permit application, available at www.kentcountyroads.net or by contacting KCRC’s Permit Department at 616-242-6920.