UB, partners to host 25th annual Fruit Belt Clean-A-Thon

Published June 4, 2025

UB’s Center for Urban Studies, in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools #37 Futures Academy and the Fruit Belt Coalition, will host its 25th annual clean-a-thon on June 6.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Futures Academy, 295 Carlton St. Attendees are asked to register by emailing Beth Kwiatek, senior research fellow at the Center for Urban Studies, at bkiatek@buffalo.edu.

The clean-a-thon typically draws about 100 students, including seventh and eighth graders from Futures Academy, and 100 community volunteers.

The schedule:

  • 9 a.m. to noon: Participants form cleaning brigades that travel across the Fruit Belt collecting trash and debris. Students will also raise a Fruit Belt flag they designed.
  • Noon to 2:45 p.m.: A celebration with games, activities and a community picnic.

In addition to beautifying the Fruit Belt, the event shows children they can make a difference the neighborhood while celebrating community and care. Also, the long-standing partnership between UB and Futures Academy demonstrates the role that universities and schools can play in improving the neighborhood that hosts them.

“We wanted to demonstrate to the children that they did not have to wait until they became adults to impact their neighborhoods, says Henry-Louis Taylor Jr., professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, director of the Center for Urban Studies and associate director of the UB Community Health Equity Research Institute.

“One crucial step they could take was to keep their neighborhood clean and improve the appearance of the area immediately fronting the school. So, we transformed an unsightly block into Frida’s Rebel Garden and launched a campaign to keep the neighborhood clean. Twenty-five years later, we are still there, battling to improve the neighborhood.”

Organizers aim to give students an opportunity to learn about civic engagement and how to make their community a better place to live, work and play. By participating in the clean-a-thon, students gain valuable experience in community building and understanding the importance of working with others to improve their neighborhood.