University City Commission joins Hickory’s Litter Quitter program
The University City Commission (UCC), a City of Hickory board and commission, participated in a litter cleanup event on Saturday, Sept. 20, as part of the City’s Litter Quitter program.
The UCC’s mission is to strengthen the relationship between the City of Hickory and its local institutions of higher education—Appalachian State University and its Hickory campus, Catawba Valley Community College, and Lenoir-Rhyne University. The commission promotes collaboration to help students integrate into the community through social engagement, volunteer service, and career development opportunities.
Since its reorganization in 2023 to include all three higher education institutions, the UCC has aimed to host a volunteer service event. The Litter Quitter program, already established by the City of Hickory, provided an ideal opportunity to bring students together for a shared cause.
Twenty-five students from the three institutions spent several hours cleaning streets in the Ridgeview community. They picked up several bags of litter and larger debris—including a tire, shopping cart, and table legs—from the streets and nearby parking areas.
Following the cleanup, participants attended the Festival on the Field at the Samuel William Davis Sr. Multipurpose Field, where they enjoyed food trucks and live music from the Sails Original Music Series.
“It was heartening to see students from all three of Hickory’s campuses come together to volunteer for the good of our city. We heard it took some real teamwork to dig out the tire they uncovered during the litter sweep,” said Dr. Taylor Newton, chair of the UCC. “The University City Commission is committed to continuing to build bridges between our higher education institutions and the City of Hickory.”
The UCC plans to continue organizing events and engaging students throughout Hickory to further its mission.
For more information about the University City Commission, visit www.hickorync.gov/university-city-commission. To learn more about the Litter Quitter program, visit www.hickorync.gov/litter-quitter.