‘Great Broadway Sweep’ Aims To Tidy Uptown, $5K Prize On The Line

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY - Ready, set, sweep.

A $5,000 grant prize is on the line for participants in the “Great Broadway Sweep” next week, an initiative that will see teams of residents, local businesses and community leaders compete to pick up the most trash across 13 miles of city streets.

Sponsored by the Sanitation Foundation, the nonprofit partner to the NYC Department of Sanitation, the competition will run from Sept. 18 to 22 and span Inwood to Times Square. The initiative will feature nine total cleanups over the course of five days, taking place daily from 10 a.m. to noon.

Clean Team volunteers will be provided with all the necessary cleaning equipment, from gloves to bags to brooms. The team that picks up the most trash will be awarded a $5,000 grant for future neighborhood cleanup initiatives.

“From Harlem to the Financial District to Times Square, Broadway is the most famous street in the world,” Sanitation Foundation Board Chair Caryl Englander said in a statement.

“Each and every Broadway block is cared for by the New Yorkers who love it most. The Sanitation Foundation is proud to support both the New York City Department of Sanitation and the local communities who help keep Broadway clean.”

The schedule of Clean Team events is as follows:

Day 1: Mon., Sept. 18 – Inwood and City Hall
Day 2: Tues., Sept. 19 - Washington Heights and Union Square
Day 3: Wed., Sept. 20 – Morningside Heights and Flatiron
Day 4: Thurs., Sept. 21 – Columbus Circle and Midtown South
Day 5: Fri., Sept. 22 – Times Square (cleanup and celebration)

To join a clean team or to create your own, register at sanitationfoundation.org.

“When New Yorkers come together amazing things happen and that’s what The Great Broadway Sweep is all about,” media personality and Clean Team Ambassador Andy Cohen said in a statement. “It’s going to be a unique week of partnership and I get to finish it off with our Clean Team coming together in Times Square to pick up trash and celebrate a truly incredible week for New York City. Oh, and I’m very happy it’s not scheduled for New Year’s Day.”