For the first time, Keep Carter County Beautiful will join the ranks of dozens of local businesses and organizations in the biweekly Evenings on Elk, as part of the organization’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness and education of how to protect the natural beauty of Carter County.

Chairperson Edward Jordan said the booth is about raising awareness of the ever-continuing problem of litter in the region.

“It is also going to be in regards to recycling,” Jordan said.

The organization has seen a surge in local presence over the course of the summer, from the debut of its recycling bins across downtown Elizabethton and its participation in several local cleanup projects.

“We are just excited,” he said. “We are excited about all the volunteers and all the work coming together in the community.”

Jordan said being able to join the ranks of local businesses and other organizations is a great step, especially since their presence comes from an invitation to be there from the community.

“We were invited down,” Jordan said. “Most of them are in support of what we are doing.”

Jordan said the invitation was heartwarming.

“We are obviously delighted that the community wants us to be involved. That is what we are all about,” he said. “We are very excited.”

Their presence at Evenings on Elk also serves as a campaign for their Milligan Highway cleanup on Saturday, as well.

As part of this increasing level of public awareness and involvement, KCCB is working on unveiling new imagery, including prints of their new logo and possible banners. The organization has also discussed the possibility of bumper stickers in the future, as well. However, booths and awareness campaigns are not the only items on their agenda.

“We are going to continue our beautification projects,” Jordan said. “Things get slow during the summer, with people on vacation, so there is not a whole lot planned.”

Despite this, Jordan said their mission is continuing to advance, as the need continues to be great.

“People who litter on the side of the roads and highways, not only are they destroying the beauty, but they are polluting the environment,” he said. “Those things become an eyesore.”

Evenings on Elk will take place this evening on Elk Avenue. For more information about Saturday morning’s Milligan Highway cleanup, contact KCCB at their booth during the festivities.