The story below is from our September/October 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Tops of artificial Christmas trees, Slim Jim wrappers, socks and Bible verses are just a few of the treasures the Roanoke Plawkers have found on their quests to keep the city clean.
If you’ve driven through your neighborhood and noticed an all-smiles pack of Star City residents picking up litter, it’s likely that you’ve spotted an official meeting of the Roanoke Plawkers. This bubbly crew is on a mission to keep the streets tidy, all while getting some fresh air and exercise.
Sunni Purviance says that a simple stroll with a neighbor was what sparked the idea to found the group. “We were walking around and they were like, ‘There’s so much trash out here. We should bring a bag next time and we should bring some friends next time because there’s too much for two people.’ … We posted it on Facebook and invited some people and people came. They kept coming.”
The Southeast Plawkers are the team that started it all in 2019. Spence Robertson, affectionately referred to as the “super plawker” by his peers, has only missed a handful of plawks since then. “I was sitting at home all the time and then … I met Sunni,” shares Robertson. “I fell in love with [plawking], and I’ve done it ever since.”
As interest grew, the Southeast Plawkers became one branch of many scattered throughout Roanoke. Last year, Rachel Hale rallied her neighbors and created the Grandview Plawkers. Her fondness for the area and a desire to meet her fellow Grandviewers is what inspired her. “I told my husband … ‘I want somebody to love my neighborhood’ and he said ‘You could.’ So I messaged [Sunni] … and [she] got me hooked up with my local neighborhood groups.”
The Roanoke Plawkers love finding ways to involve as many folks within the community as possible. Local church groups and youth organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, have joined the gang on various plawking expeditions. The plawkers are even hard at work supporting the local economy by designating A Few Old Goats Brewing and Chillin’ Shaved Ice, among others, as meetup locations.
City dwellers are so appreciative of the Roanoke Plawkers’ dedication to their cause. As drivers pass by, they honk their horns, wave and yell hearty “thank yous” out their windows. Some have even stopped to drop off gifts. “We’ve had a lot of neat interactions with people along the way,” remarks Purviance. “Somebody even gave Cindy [one of our plawkers] a potted plant one time.”
If you’re interested in participating, meetup dates and locations can be found on the Roanoke Plawkers Facebook page. No sign-up required and Clean Valley Council provides all the supplies you’ll need. All you have to do is show up and plawk on!
The story above is from our September/October 2022 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
