PICKENS — Pickens Revitalization Association and its volunteers will again be working to beautify the embankment along Highway 8 on Saturday, Dec. 28. The site has seen significant progress from where it began two years ago. This is the second year that PRA has partnered with the Pickens Rotary Club to beautify this section of Highway 8 that serves as one of the entrance thoroughfares into the city of Pickens.

Pickens Revitalization Association was fortunate to receive a $2,000 grant from Palmetto Pride to continue efforts on the beautification project. Palmetto Pride is a non-profit organization created to fight litter and beautify South Carolina. The statewide work of Palmetto Pride is a great example of the type of consciousness raising activities necessary to bring about change in the public’s attitude on litter issues.

“Without the support and funding of Palmetto Pride, many of our towns and cities across South Carolina would be hard-pressed to execute these types of beautification projects,” PRA executive director Allison Fowler said. “Our organization works to make Pickens a better place, and making sure our city is clean and beautiful is a large part of that.”

Palmetto Pride even donates supplies for the Great American Cleanup that happens between the months of March and May each year. According to Palmetto Pride, the Great American Cleanup is “a localized cleanup, beautification and community improvement program, recognized as the nation’s largest cleanup event, where millions of residents across the country take part in a springtime campaign to clean up and beautify communities all across America.”

Pickens Revitalization Association and the Pickens Rotary Club coordinated work days throughout the year for volunteers to pick up litter, remove debris, plant trees and flowers, and place boulders. On Saturday, volunteers will be working on placing rocks and spreading mulch to complete this section of the project.