Rockford Shows Up: 900+ Volunteers Transform the City This Earth Day

Collage of Earth Day cleanup volunteers across Rockford, including a McDonald's team holding a #CelebrateService sign, a large group gathered in front of Carpenter's Place, and two other teams in high-visibility vests collecting litter along neighborhood streets.

April 22–24, 2026

Rockford didn't just observe Earth Day this year. It rolled up its sleeves.

More than 900 volunteers turned out over three days — April 22, 23, and 24 — for the Rockford Earth Day Citywide Cleanup, a community-wide effort organized by United Way Rock River Valley in partnership with Go Rockford, the Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor's Office. The cleanup was part of the city's celebration of America's 250th anniversary, a reflection of civic pride that showed up in neighborhoods across the city.

Three panels showing Earth Day cleanup volunteers: a trio of young women in safety vests holding a #CelebrateService sign near a Rockford Public Library branch, two men in orange and yellow vests collecting trash bags along a downtown sidewalk, and a group of elementary-age students in green vests holding the #CelebrateService sign outside their school.

A City-Wide Effort, Block by Block

Teams fanned out across Rockford, tackling everything from riverbanks and creek corridors to school grounds, park trails, and downtown streets. More than 20 organizations participated, bringing together businesses, nonprofits, schools, faith communities, and neighborhood groups.

Some highlights from across the city:

  • Carpenter's Place mobilized 100 volunteers to clean up around their facility, one of the cleanup's strongest showings from the community.
  • Rockford Lutheran Elementary deployed 53 volunteers across the Highcrest/Edgebrook area in two shifts, morning and afternoon.
  • CEJA Pre-Apprenticeship Program (hosted by Goodwill) organized 50 participants along Church Street.
  • TH Foods, Fehr Graham, BMO, Go Rockford, Dickerson & Nieman Realtors, and Morrissey Family Businesses were among the businesses showing up on behalf of their teams and their community.
  • Sustain Rockford Clean Team tackled the Keith Creek corridor from 5th to 11th Street.
  • LDS Youth capped off Earth Day evening with a cleanup at Aldeen Park.
  • Severson Dells Nature Center, RPL Montague Branch, Milestone, The Cove, and several other organizations covered everything from bike paths to neighborhood blocks.
  • Washington Elementary School brought out 530 students and staff on Friday, April 24, cleaning up the grounds around their school — the single largest team of the event.
Six-panel collage of Earth Day cleanup volunteers across Rockford neighborhoods: teams posing with #CelebrateService signs, volunteers sweeping sidewalks and picking up debris along a riverbank, and pairs of participants in high-visibility vests working together on city streets.

Cleaning the Course: IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford-Illinois

A portion of the cleanup was focused along the route of the second annual IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford-Illinois, scheduled for Sunday, June 22, 2026. Several teams chose cleanup locations that fall along the running portion of the triathlon course, ensuring that when hundreds of athletes and spectators arrive this summer, they'll see a Rockford that takes care of itself.

Three-panel photo showing the Go Rockford team posing in front of the Go Rockford storefront with yellow trash bags and a #CelebrateService sign, CEJA Pre-Apprenticeship Program participants in bright yellow shirts picking up litter along a downtown sidewalk, and a small group holding the #CelebrateService sign with America 250, City of Rockford, and Go Rockford logos visible.

Why It Matters

This cleanup was more than a litter pick. It was a statement about who Rockford is and where it's headed. As the nation marks 250 years, Rockford is marking its own momentum: a growing events economy, a more connected community, and a culture of neighbors showing up for each other.

The effort was part of a broader vision. Miranda Swanson of Carpenter's Place partnered with United Way President & CEO Julie Bosma to co-chair the volunteer committee for Rockford's America 250th anniversary programming. The goal is to bring the same spirit of civic investment that made this cleanup possible to celebrations planned throughout the year.

The bags filled, the miles walked, and the hours volunteered add up to something real: a cleaner, healthier, more pride-filled city.

Six-panel collage of Earth Day cleanup participants: a team near a Rockford wayfinding sign, two volunteers picking up litter at an intersection, a group in front of the Coronado Performing Arts Center marquee, an older couple holding a #CelebrateService sign downtown, three young boys in safety vests with trash bags in a residential neighborhood, and a smiling group of women volunteers holding the #CelebrateService sign.

Thank You to Our Teams

We're grateful to every volunteer, team captain, and partner who made this possible. The energy you brought to your neighborhoods this week is exactly what makes Rockford worth showing up for.

The Rockford Earth Day Citywide Cleanup was led by United Way Rock River Valley in partnership with Go Rockford, the Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor's Office.

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