RUMFORD and MEXICO — Close to 100 people gathered Sunday morning as part of a community cleanup day throughout Rumford and Mexico.

Lisa Arsenault, who helped organize the event, said she was pleased with the turnout.

“We had no idea what to expect,” she said. “When everyone showed up (at the Rumford Information Center parking lot), we just tried to tell people areas where they could go. Tom (Bourret, organizer) made sure to tell people not to pick up any needles.”

She said from this event, they will be better organized next time. There will be a get together soon to decide about doing another community cleanup in the fall.

Arsenault said people were encouraged to use their pickups, when possible, to pick up the trash bags. Bourret and Rob Dixon also used their trucks to pick up some of the bags.

Bourret said Public Works will also pick up the trash bags from the cleanup in Rumford on Monday morning.

Gary Dolloff and his girlfriend, Tammy Robbins, worked to clean debris from the banking along the Route 2 turnout area, located across from Sam’s Italian Sandwich Shoppe.

Dolloff said a lot of truckers stop here overnight, but also leave behind a lot of discarded material. The back of his truck was filled with truck tires, brake drums, filters and more.

He said they were participating because the day before was Pay It Forward Day, something they believe in.

The couple was hoping to move on to collect more debris, but this area “is taking a lot longer than I thought it would,” Dolloff said.

Jennifer Heinzen and her daughter, Madison, were part of a cleanup crew that canvassed the Rumford Avenue area.

Jennifer said they just wanted to volunteer and do their part to help with the cleanup effort.

Mountain Valley High School students Cameron Gallant, Kylee Pelletier, Kierstyn Lyons, Emily Davis and Mackenzie Gallant worked to clean up a portion of the Virginia section of Rumford.

The group also discovered some gravestones in the woods off a dead-end street, which they did not touch.

Along with the debris, Arsenault said people also found money, including a $20 bill. With an hour of cleanup to go, she had been told a total of $41 had been found on the streets.

Adding collected debris to a trailer are, from left, Mountain Valley High School students Cameron Gallant, Kylee Pelletier, Kierstyn Lyons, Emily Davis and Mackenzie Gallant.

Jennifer Heinzen, left, and her daughter, Madison, were part of a cleanup crew that canvassed the Rumford Avenue area.

Gary Dolloff and his girlfriend, Tammy Robbins, worked to clean debris from the banking along the Route 2 turnout area, across from Sam’s Italian Sandwich Shoppe.