THE UNITED Vendors Association (UVA), one of three groups which represent some 2,000 vendors, last Friday launched a campaign to amass $1.5 million in cash or kind to help their members and other vendors in downtown Kingston to clean up sections of the city on December 8, which has been designated "National Clean-up Day".
Some 1,200 vendors, merchants and residents of nearby communities are expected to come out to help with the clean-up, which is being held under the theme, "Put a new face on your place," the UVA outlined at a press conference last Friday at the Coke Methodist Church Hall, East Parade, downtown Kingston.
The group, which is working in tandem with the Jamaica Vendors, Markets and Higglers Association, said that the campaign would begin on Saturday, November 30, and run until Thursday, December 5, 2002. Persons are welcome to continue contributing after that date, the group said.
"We will be providing manual labour for the project and we are asking persons to provide the materials...the paints, the brushes...the waterboots whatever is necessary and the NWA (National Works Agency) to come in and fix the pot holes and for the Fire Brigade to come and help wash the city and so on," he said.
The vendors are expected to sweep streets, wash and paint sidewalks and "we are going to be assisting business persons to put a new face on their place through our space care programme," said public relations officer for the UVA, Edgerton Newman. "We are urging the workers to come out that day and paint their place."
Contributions in cash or kind can be made at 123 Duke Street and the offices of the UVA on 9 Mark Lane, downtown Kingston. Tomorrow, an all day collection can be made at the Coke Methodist Church Hall, running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Today, the UVA will also launch the Miss Vendor Pageant; tomorrow afternoon, officials will be going to the Constant Spring market to speak with vendors about having similar clean-up activities and on Wednesday morning, they will head to the Spanish Town market and later in the day, to the Linstead Market to promote similar initiatives. The UVA also said that it is working with associations in Montego Bay to promote similar activities in markets there.
The Gleaner will also become the first recipient of the UVA's Space Care award, which will be given to businesses which keep their surroundings clean.
