Cleanliness may indeed be next to godliness, but in Lititz, cleanliness is also in very close proximity to community.

Keeping Lititz neat and tidy is a collective effort, and no day celebrates the borough's cleanliness like downtown Lititz's annual spring cleanup day. This spring's version of the event, the 10th annual, will take place on Saturday, April 29, between 8 a.m. and noon.

The annual spring cleanup day is spearheaded by Venture Lititz and is a part of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, a nationwide initiative designed to engage community pride in the cleanliness of hometowns.

"A clean downtown is vital for so many reasons," said Venture Lititz executive director Rebecca Branle. "From an economic development perspective, a clean downtown attracts more people, both visitors and locals. When the town looks picture-perfect, it becomes a place where people feel more welcome, more at home, and more proud to be. Pride of place is so essential in community building."

Volunteers pick up trash, weed and mulch all the tree wells and beds on Main Street and Broad Street in the historic downtown business district. Participants work both hard and smart, and the casual nature of the work, combined with camaraderie and civic pride, makes it seem a little less tedious.

"It's a great time for us to gather side by side with our neighbors and share the bond of working together to make sure the town shines ahead of our bustling, warm-weather season," said Branle. "In the past, we've been so lucky to have a big crew of community members show up, so lots of hands make for fast work. I think other towns do it, but they struggle to get the participants we do."

Venture Lititz board members Shirley Flickinger and Mark Hough are again organizing and leading the Lititz cleanup day efforts. Branle said that typically 50 volunteers show up for the work and that in the past, volunteers from Giant Food Stores, Johnson & Johnson, Susquehanna Insurance, the borough's municipal government and its staff, church groups and the Warwick High School softball team have all shown up to lend a hand.

"(Hough and Flickinger are) great at making the spirit of the day a fun one," said Branle. "For me, if someone wants to feel great about where they live, this is the event. On this day, strangers come together, and by the end of it, they're friends. There are so many folks eager to raise their hands and join in.

Participants seeking to volunteer for Lititz's spring cleanup day are invited to register by going to http://www.lititzpa.com, finding the event calendar under Events and looking for spring cleanup.