Addressing litter concerns continues to be a key element for one local organization, and the next several weeks could see additional progress be made for the cause.

Carter County Proud is preparing for a cleanup event for their Milligan Highway, scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 7.

Members interested in participating are encouraged to meet at the Happy Valley Elementary School parking lot on Milligan Highway. Ed Jordan, Carter County Proud founder, added that participants are encouraged to wear long pants, a hat, closed-toe shoes or boots and bring gloves and drinking water. Sunscreen is also recommended but the group will furnish trash bags and safety vests.

While the cleanups are a regular part of the organization’s activities, Jordan did add a variety of projects and opportunities are around the bend for Carter County Proud.

Board members recently met in June to discuss what’s ahead for summer and early fall of this year and Jordan indicated the event provided a heaping helping of information and ideas for the coming months.

“We were able to discuss a lot about the upcoming projects,” Jordan said. “Our goal is to keep promoting our message of beautification and litter cleanup across the community. Progress is being made but there is still room to improve. We want to continue working with law enforcement and other agencies to help address the issue.”

One key tool that can assist in the mission is affiliation with Keep America Beautiful. Jordan added that an application has been submitted to the organization to be possibly accepted into the group.

With affiliation, CCP would ultimately go through a name change — Keep Carter County Beautiful — and be in line to receive support from the group to bolster its impact within the area.

“The money has been sent for the application,” Jordan said. “We should be hearing more about this soon.” Jordan added the recent meeting netted positive feedback and included Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey as a guest speaker.

One project that is in the beginning phases is to address the usage of straws and plastic bags in restaurants and stores. While currently in just the discussion phase, Jordan said the plan to offer alternatives received positive feedback from members.

“We’re going to continue discussing this project and see what steps we can take in the future to offer alternatives,” Jordan added.

To learn more about the upcoming projects and plans from the group, visit the Carter County Proud Facebook page.