On Sunday, Councilmember Joel Feroleto, the Elmwood Village Association, and the Buffalo Olmsted Conservancy came together to announce a significant Earth Day cleanup effort that will take place on Monday April 22. This particular cleanup is being led by The Shatzel Group, which owns the following restaurants:
- Thin Man – 492 Elmwood Avenue
- Coles – 1104 Elmwood Avenue
- Colter Bay – 561 Delaware Avenue
- Allen Burger Venture – 175 Allen Street
- The Terrace at Marcy Casino – 199 Lincoln Parkway
The idea behind the cleanup is that each restaurant will act as a home base for the effort, by providing supplies and gathering points for volunteers. Seeing that the restaurants are located throughout Elmwood and Allentown, the decision to lead the charge was a natural fit for restaurant owner Mike Shatzel.
“Many of our employees will be volunteering to clean up the streets. We are having an after party to show appreciation for everyone that comes out and contributes to the beautification efforts in our neighborhoods,” said Shatzel.
On the day of the event, volunteers will gather at each of the restaurants between 5:00 and 5:30 pm, before taking to the streets for the massive cleanup. Then, starting at 7pm, as a thank you to all those that chipped in, there will be a volunteer appreciation party at Thin Man on Elmwood Avenue. Each of the participants will get one free beer voucher at the event, and food samples – the goal is to have at least 200 people participate.
“We are excited to be a part of this collaboration with small businesses, not for profit organizations and residents. This is a great example of what can be accomplished by working together,” said Councilmember Joel Feroleto.
“Earth Day is about community, respect, and partnership with our environment, and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy couldn’t be prouder of the efforts being put forward by the Shatzel Group of restaurants and our dedicated Delaware District Councilmember, Joel Feroleto,” said Stephanie Crockatt, executive director. “Volunteer efforts such as these are deeply valued and appreciated as they build affinity for our parks, our health, and our great city,” said Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director of Olmsted Conservancy.
“The Elmwood Village Association is excited to partner with the Shatzel Group and their family of small businesses to promote a cleaner, greener and more walkable Elmwood Avenue. EVA has led three community-based workshops so far this month; the small business-driven Earth Day Clean-up on the 22nd along with the Elmwood Village Clean-Up on the 27th are contributing to strong momentum in the Elmwood Village as we head into a busy summer event season. We can’t wait to see everyone on Elmwood” said Ashley Smith, Executive Director of Elmwood Village Association.
Councilmember David Rivera added “Earth Day 2019 has to be one of the biggest Earth Days ever. Our environment is as fragile as it have ever been, and if we are going to reverse this trend every single one of us needs to help in any way they can to clean up our environment and start protecting it for the future. I am excited for this opportunity to open up participation across our neighborhoods and celebrate the accomplishments of Earth Day. I thank the participating restaurants and organizations and my partners in government for coming together on this important action. I hope to see many people out on Earth Day 2019.”
