In the past, Rochester’s Clean Sweep project was held over four different Saturdays during the spring. This year, organizers hope that the hundreds of volunteers who have come out each day in the past will all come together for one major cleanup on May 3. A partnership with the Red Wings should help make sure plenty of volunteers show to help clean up their city.

The first part of the doubleheader, so to speak, will begin at 8 a.m. at Frontier Field and volunteers will work to clear litter, brush, and debris, plant flowers, remove graffiti, prune trees, and work on other beautification projects around the city. After the hard work, Clean Sweepers will be rewarded with free admission to the Red Wings’ game against the Louisville Bats later in the evening.

“We want people to come out and work out to clean up our city,” said Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason. “It needs help right now after one of the toughest winters we’ve had. After they work hard, we want them to play harder. And make a lot of noise for the Wings.”

Of course, spring cleaning isn’t only for outdoor spaces, and many homeowners will dedicate a weekend to cleaning up their own places. But while many will focus on cleaning out the garage or basement, overlooking items like kitchen sponges, which can be the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that could transfer pathogens like E. coli, would be a mistake. Boiling or microwaving sponges can kill up to 99% of bacteria, and using anti-bacterial sprays on every surface is a good idea.

This is the eighth year of the Clean Sweep event, which was started in 2006. According to Aaron Thompson, a pitcher for the Wings, it was the fans who inspired the team to get involved with the event. In the morning, players will pick up some tools for volunteers to use and they are also encouraging individual school teams to get involved.

Anyone who wants to volunteer can call 311 to register or do so on the Clean Sweep website.