By Amanda Cedrone

The Boston Red Sox, Northeastern students and Fenway residents will be teaming up to clean the Fenway neighborhood as part of Boston Shines 365, Mayor Thomas Menino’s year-round, Boston neighborhood cleanup campaign.

The cleanup will take place this Saturday, March 27, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The duties vary from picking up loose pieces of trash in parks and on sidewalks, to scrubbing walls and facades that have been defaced in some way, said Marty Ray, manager of public affairs at the Boston Red Sox.

Krystal Dube, a junior, neuroscience major, has participated in a Boston Shines event in the Dudley area and recommends it to other students.
“It was really great, and there were a lot of kids that came out, and they will be the ones to propel it into the future,” Dube said.

Boston Shines 365 was initiated by Mayor Thomas Menino to provide the tools and materials necessary to complete various community service projects throughout Boston at any time. About 100 volunteers are attending the Fenway neighborhood cleanup, 35 of which are Northeastern students. Ashley Dickerson, a Fenway community ambassador for off-campus student services, said she is hoping to see increase in the next few days.

“It’s a good way to connect students to Boston,” Dickerson said. “There are sometimes hostilities between families and students in the neighborhood, so for families to know that students care is important.”

Megan Powers, a senior, English major, said it is important for students to get involved with their community.

“Northeastern borders so many neighborhoods,” Powers said. “I live out in Allston and other Northeastern kids live out there too, they live all around. I think it’s important to realize that you’re not only a college student but your part of a bigger community as well.”

According to the campaign website, Cityofboston.gov/ons/bostonshines/, the campaign also holds two citywide cleanup days in the spring. Over the past five years, approximately 5,000 volunteers have participated. The spring clean up days for 2010 are April 23 and 24.

Dickerson said she first became involved with the clean up after off campus students expressed they were looking for ways to feel more involved in their community.

“Our goal is to connect off campus students with the community,” Dickerson said. “So I decided back in January to connect with Boston Shines, who connected me with Fenway Park.”

About 30 Red Sox employees will be participating on Saturday, and the players, who can’t be present since they are in Fort Meyer’s on spring training, are doing their part by donating various Red Sox memorabilia and tickets to a regular season game to the cause. Any volunteers will be entered into a drawing to win these prizes.

“It’s a way to give back to the community we are such an integral part of,” Rays said.

Rays said the remaining volunteers are residents, business owners and staff who work in the Fenway area.

Students interested in participating on Saturday can contact [email protected].