Blog Post

‘It Makes Me Proud’: Downtown Fall Clean-Up Brings People Together

Community pride was on full display at Downtown Wichita’s Fall Clean-Up.

On Oct. 9, volunteers from inside and outside the district pitched in to spruce up the core, tackling projects ranging from landscaping to painting.

“I volunteered because I want to be part of bettering the community and making it a place where everyone wants to be,” shared Drue Martinez of Golden Plains Credit Union.

“I really enjoy seeing everyone come together,” explained Dominic Saiki, a Wichita State University student and downtown resident. “This is my neighborhood. I live here. I like to see people from other places come and help out.”

Amanda Baccus lives in Valley Center and works at ICT SOS, located near Washington Street and Douglas Avenue.

“Our advocate coordinator is the one who put this together for us so we could have a team-building day to do something together to volunteer and give back because usually people are pouring into us,” Baccus said.

The Fall Clean-Up is scheduled on a Friday to encourage downtown and Wichita-area companies to participate as a team-building opportunity during the workweek.

This year, four companies and 30 volunteers repainted the ground mural in Gallery Alley on Douglas Avenue and landscaped the 200 block of North Mosley Street in Old Town.

The Downtown Wichita Clean Team provided operational support, while the Wichita Park & Recreation Department donated a full pallet of mulch for volunteers to use to beautify the neighborhood.

The Spring Clean-Up happens every year on the Saturday after Earth Day, raising awareness about good environmental stewardship and inviting the larger Wichita community to pitch in downtown.

If you or a group want to volunteer for the 2027 clean-ups, contact Amara Kniep.