Local community and civic leaders, students and adults came together in hopes to make their city a cleaner place to live, during Selma’s citywide cleanup Saturday.

Comprised of all eight wards, the citywide cleanup was an all-day effort by members of the community to keep the city litter and trash-free.

Selma City Ward 6 councilman B.L. Tucker was pleased with the event’s turnout.

“It was excellent,” Tucker said. “We picked up paper (and) piled up (tree) limbs.”

Tucker said the city plans to keep the cleanup effort ongoing.

“We’re going to probably do it one or two more times before the year is out,” Tucker said. “I wish we could do it every week. It doesn’t take long for litter to pile up. We may need to have some classes to get people educated more of what litter will do to a city.”

Ward 6 resident and pastor Robert Pettus said Saturday’s event was a call for him to help his ward look its very best.

“I wanted to make sure I could help keep my city clean,” Pettus said. “It was tiresome, but it was worth it.”

Even area middle school students Ronnie Caver and Ulyana Clarke spent their Saturday with bags in their hands instead of a remote.

“I volunteered, because I wanted to help out,” Caver said.

Clarke, who is a sixth grader at Ellwood Christian Academy, agrees.

“I had fun,” Clarke said. “I wanted to help out … I like to keep the city clean.”

Selma Mayor George Evans felt the first-time event was a success.

“We didn’t get all the numbers we thought we did today (but) … overall, we got some major streets that needed to be cleaned,” Evans said. “A bunch of young folks were out there … we had just as much children as adults … we had a lot of people in Old Town, Riverview District that did cleanup. All is well, I’m pleased.”

Evans said many residents stayed on sight to help with the cleanup. Evans hopes to do a citywide cleanup every quarter.

“I think we’ll get more people involved in it and it will be better organized,” Evans said. “There will be people who will continue to clean up designated areas and I encourage them to do that. I thank everybody for coming out.”