News Flash

Thirteen-year-old Sophia Leer dedicated time over her summer break to make a difference. Seeing the growing amount of litter on the road, she decided to act. “My father had mentioned how trash has been building up on the road leading up to our neighborhood. I figured this summer was a perfect opportunity to knock it off the bucket list.”, said Sophia. On Tuesday, July 30^th, Sophia and her father, Josh Leer, did just that.

Together, they both spent time cleaning a half-mile stretch of Broad Street in Hadensville. The results were astonishing. “I was shocked to have filled 7 lawn and leaf bags.”, said Sophia, “The majority of the trash was hidden beneath the undergrowth, so it had clearly been there for a while.”

“We are very proud of her for wanting to do something to give back to the community in a way that also benefits the health of our planet.”, said Sophia’s father and stepmom. “Sophia is driven and determined when setting goals for herself. She has made our whole family want to get involved.”

The Leer family hopes Sophia’s story will motivate others to get involved. “Picking up trash is a simple and feel-good effort.”, said Sophia. For those interested in organizing their own roadside cleanup efforts, vests, bags, and trash pickers are available from the Goochland Convenience Center. For more information, visit https://goochlandva.us/265/6245/Community-Cleanup-Resources.

Additionally, the 25^th Annual James River Regional Cleanup will give individuals interested in cleaning up trash and recyclable materials and opportunity to do so in Goochland at Tucker Park at Maidens Landing on Saturday, September 14^th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  The annual event is free and open to individuals, families, groups, boaters, and paddlers.  To learn more about the 25^th Annual James River Regional Cleanup and to register, please visit https://jrac-va.org/signatureevents/.