Students win Lorain County billboard contest as county promotes Keep Lorain County Beautiful Day

Lorain County commissioners on May 9 recognized student winners of the Keep Lorain County Beautiful billboard design contest and heard details about the countywide cleanup day scheduled for Saturday, May 17.

Brandy Schnell, special projects manager with the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District, told commissioners the cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon and typically attracts about 1,500 volunteers countywide. "It's always the third Saturday in May," Schnell said, adding the event includes litter pickup, pollinator gardens, graffiti abatement and other beautification projects; the district supplies bags, bottled water and safety vests.

Schnell announced the billboard contest drew 765 entries and introduced three winners: Madeline Parabec, a sixth grader at St. Jude School (winning billboard on State Route 57 visible from the Lorain County Collection Center); Sadie Ballinger, a fifth grader at Oberlin Elementary (billboard on State Route 10 just east of Jerky Road); and Amelia C., a second grader at Liberty Elementary in North Ridgeville (billboard in downtown Elyria on West Avenue just south of Lake Avenue). Winners received a certificate signed by the commissioners, $50 and a miniature replica of their billboard.

Why it matters: Keep Lorain County Beautiful Day is a long-running volunteer effort (Schnell said this is the program’s 25th year) that county officials said both reduces litter and provides civic engagement opportunities for residents and local businesses. Commissioners encouraged businesses and residents to participate in the May 17 event and to pick up kits on the preceding Thursday.

Action and logistics: Schnell described donated supplies from local companies (hand wipes and buckets from private donors and Sherwin-Williams) and said kit pickup for participating jurisdictions occurs the Thursday before the event. Commissioners invited the winners to the dais for certificates and photos.