Photo by Jon Anderson
Jonathan Fague trims bushes at Bumpus Middle School as part of the Hoover City Dad Brigade back-to-school cleanup in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
The Hoover City Dad Brigade back-to-school cleanup effort will be held again this year after taking a year off last year for the first time in 10 years.
This year’s cleanup effort is scheduled for Saturday, July 12. Volunteers are asked to arrive at Hoover schools Saturday morning and typically work several hours doing things like spreading pine straw in landscaped areas, pressure washing concrete, trimming trees and hedges, and removing weeds and trash.
The tradition began in 2015 under the leadership of Derrick Murphy, who then was president of the Hoover Board of Education and later became a member of the Hoover City Council.
It has continued every year since until last year, when Murphy called off the event with principal changes taking place at three Hoover schools. Murphy said he is excited to have it again this year and looks forward to having volunteers show up to help ready school campuses for the return of students on Aug. 7.
The event also has a dual purpose of helping dads get involved and connected to their children’s schools if they are not already. Most of the volunteers are fathers, but others are grandfathers, other men in the community and boys going into eighth grade or older. Frequently, some women show up to help as well at some schools.
Breakfast will be provided at the schools by Chick-fil-A, Murphy said. Home Depot also is a key sponsor each year, donating items to help with cleanup, he said.
Volunteers are asked to register in advance to help organizers prepare, but advance registration is not absolutely required. Register here.
