The City Announces Opening Day for the 2023 Litter League Season

Mayor Kapszukiewicz was joined by Tina Wozniak, Lucas County Commissioner, Adam Cassi, Executive Director, Keep Toledo Lucas County Beautiful, Council Member Nick Komives, and Kid Mayor Gabrielle Mukiira to announce the opening day for the 2023 Toledo Litter League “season” at Fifth Third Field.

Toledo Litter League is a competitive baseball-themed litter abatement program aimed at striking out litter in Toledo and Lucas County. Teams will be formed by businesses, neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations, private clubs, civic organizations, and individuals.

During the 2022 season, a total of 1,236 bags of litter were collected in Toledo/Lucas County, equivalent to an estimated 37,080 lbs. of litter removed from our streets, neighborhoods, parks, and rivers. In total, 37 active teams completed 164 cleanups with an estimated 2,970 volunteer hours.

“Litter is an environmental, economic, and socioeconomic issue, not just in Toledo, but for other communities in Lucas County as well,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “It finds its way into Lake Erie, it is a major factor when people consider moving or doing business in Toledo, and it impacts community pride.”

Litter League’s “opening day” is scheduled for Saturday, May 27th, and will run through Thursday, August 31st. The top four teams will be invited back to Fifth Third Field for an end-of-season celebration. This year, the city of Toledo will be competing against the city of Columbus, with Montgomery County, Dayton joining the competition as well.

Adam Cassi, Executive Director of Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful, stressed the role everyone can play in eradicating litter. “Keep America Beautiful estimates there are 50 billion pieces of litter across the United States. 88% of that is smaller than 4 inches. If we stop littering right now and everyone went out individually and picked up 152 pieces of litter, then litter would be gone.”

To participate, each team must have a captain, a team name, and a roster of no more than 20 players. Players under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another responsible adult. Teams must identify the zip code in which they will be collecting litter, and each player must complete a liability waiver.

All teams are required to register their litter cleanups with Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful, which will provide each team with equipment such as safety vests, gloves, litter grabbers, and trash bags. Team captains are responsible for submitting a score sheet to report statistics after each cleanup.

Teams will score one run for every full bag of litter collected. Tires and bulk items will not be included in scoring and cannot be collected during Litter League. If bulky items are found during cleanups, there will be a reporting process to follow.

Kid Mayor Gabrielle Mukiira was in attendance to emphasize the importance of the Litter League. “Participating in this event builds teamwork, community spirit, and makes the Earth a safer place for everyone to enjoy. I would like to recognize Kid Council members George and Joseph Haslinger for creating their own team called the “Bulldog Warriors.” Together, we can make Toledo a better place to live in.”

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