Saturday was a perfect day for spring cleaning, and for many in Harford County a great day to clear their clutter.
A steady line of cars rolled through the Harford Community College campus, as folks dropped off a variety of items, from paper to shred, grills, old bikes to electronics, during the fourth annual Clear Your Clutter Day organized by Sappari Solutions and Harford Community College.
A host of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Goodwill and local Lions Clubs, were on hand to help collect and dispose of the piles during the four-hour event.
Groups from Mountain Christian Church participating in Servfest and other local ministries were also there, helping unload vehicles, direct traffic and keep things running smoothly.
Grace Assembly of God's Serve Fest made up a majority of the volunteers.
The Aegis: Top stories
During Clear Your Clutter Day, for a $5 fee, residents could drop off one carload of items, ranging from unwanted papers to plastic grocery bags, to event partners for recycling or reuse. Proceeds from sponsorships and entry fees benefit Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna.
Sappari Solutions owner and Clear Your Clutter Day founder Nettie Owens said 500 cars dropped off items Saturday.
"It makes me so happy to get rid of all this stuff," Cynthia Dorvin, of Fallston, said as she unloaded her pickup truck with some help from volunteers.
Steve Cummins, of Bel Air, also had a load of stuff – plastic bags, eyeglasses, a computer monitor and some old toys – to drop off, and said he was happy to have a place to do it all at once.
Local businesses, including Comcast Cares, Shoprite, Target, Bumble Junk and Shred Instead, helped with the collection and sorting of recyclables.
The free paper shredding service was in high demand, and the single truck from Shred Instead was nearly filled by 11:30 a.m., as more than 11,000 pounds of paper were shredded.
According to organizers, the final tally for Clear Your Clutter Day included 3.5 tons of miscellaneous electronics, 12,600 pounds of scrap metal, 104 cell phones, 75 boxes of books, 200 pairs of eyeglasses and 100 purses. Goodwill filled one 52-foot trailer with clothing and other usable items.