NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the City of Newark. Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Mayor Ras Baraka, Members of the Municipal Council, Director of Public Works Kalif Thomas, and New Jersey Clean Communities Council Executive Director Sandy Huber announced today that the City of Newark, in partnership with Essex County, will host the 15th Annual "Gateway to a Cleaner Newark Citywide Cleanup" on Thursday, October 5, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The cleanup will take place rain or shine, starting and ending at Lincoln Park on Broad Street and Clinton Avenue, in Newark's Downtown. Residents and business owners are being challenged to support this annual event and break out brooms and bags to clean up Newark's empty lots and sweep litter from streets, in an effort to "Slam Dunk the Junk."

Last year more than 900 volunteers participated in the annual clean-up. "Gateway Cleanup Day has become a great tradition in the City of Newark. For 15 years, it has showcased our determination to make our beloved Newark a cleaner City," Mayor Baraka said. "Residents of all ages and a variety of community organizations come together to remove trash from our streets and plant flowers, and physically transform the face and streetscape of Newark, making us a stronger as well as cleaner city. I congratulate all the participants for a decade of teamwork and partnership on this important annual event."

Teams can register in advance. Individual volunteers will be assigned to a team on October 5, and must be responsible for their own transportation. Walk-in volunteers can register the day of the event at Lincoln Park from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and can choose their own sites to clean from the list, which will be provided that day. Volunteer cleanup teams will gather and meet at the park to pick up supplies. All organizations must provide travel arrangements for their teams to their designated site locations. Teams will remove trash from 9 a.m. until Noon. The City of Newark's Department of Public Works will provide equipment for the cleanup crews. The teams will then return to Lincoln Park for lunch and an awards ceremony. Awards will go to the teams of volunteers that remove the most litter. Awards will also be given for interesting, educational, or unusual trash picked up.

"The Newark cleanup is part of a highly successful series of urban cleanups hosted by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council. It fosters cooperation of government agencies, community organizations, schools, and businesses in cleaning up litter," said Huber.

Event sponsors include the state Department of Environmental Protection, Essex County, Newark Public Schools, UPS, Panasonic, Investors Bank, Covanta Energy, Sims Metal Management, ShopRite, Anheuser Busch, Prudential, NJ Transit, Waste Management, International Youth Organization, Covenant House, Rutgers University-Newark, Integrity House, Newark Youth Ambassadors, the Greater Newark Conservancy, the YMCA, and the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District. Batman and Wonder Woman will be on hand to entertain the volunteers.

The South 17th Street School, New Horizon Community Charter School, the Link Community Charter School, and the Newark Boys Chorus School are also participating. Teams and individuals can continue to register right up to the morning of the event, or donate food, funds, or supplies. For more information, a list of sites to be cleaned, or to register, contact the City of Newark Office of Recycling at (973) 733-6685 or (201) 259-2808. You can also register with the New Jersey Clean Communities Council at: (609) 989-5900 or by fax at: (609) 989-9066, or by e-mail at njccc@njclean.org. You can also visit their website at www.njclean.org.