Issue: Summer 2026

Scan the QR code or click this link to be taken to the page where you can record your cleanup results for the “Don’t Drop it on Alabama” Spring Cleanup, Adopt-A-Mile, Campus Cleanups, or any general cleanup. We’d love to see how many bags and/or pounds you are picking up!

There is also an opportunity to share photos from your cleanups so that we can share them on our social media and in the PALS Prints Newsletter! We are so excited to have this new reporting feature and hope it makes reporting a breeze!

A big thank you to ALDOT for helping make this possible!

By John Cooper, Director, Alabama Department of Transportation

Summer is a time when many Alabamians take to the road to enjoy vacations, outdoor activities and time with family and friends. As travel increases, so does the importance of keeping our roadways and communities clean.

At ALDOT, we see firsthand the impact litter has on Alabama’s transportation system. In 2025, the state spent more than $9.6 million collecting litter from roadsides. Those are resources that could otherwise be used to improve and maintain our transportation infrastructure. Litter also detracts from the natural beauty of our state and can create hazards for motorists, wildlife and the environment.

The good news is that every Alabamian can make a difference. Through the efforts of Alabama PALS, Adopt-A-Mile volunteers, schools, community organizations and local cleanup groups, we continue to make meaningful progress in keeping Alabama clean and beautiful. These partnerships demonstrate what can be accomplished when people take pride in their communities and work together toward a common goal.

As you travel this summer, I encourage you to do your part by disposing of trash properly, securing loads and never littering. Small actions can have a lasting impact. Together, we can help preserve Alabama’s scenic beauty, protect our environment and ensure our roadways remain safe for everyone.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our friend and former coworker, Margaret McElroy. We honor and remember Margaret and her 20 years of hard work, loyalty and friendship to Alabama PALS, our partners, and our volunteers. After 2 decades with us, Margaret was much more like family than a coworker. We will certainly miss her spunk, sense of humor, and steady presence. She will be deeply missed. Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

by Jeff Helms, Chairman

God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her, through the night with the light from above.

These words, penned by Irving Berlin in 1918 during the waning months of World War I, have become an anthem of U.S. patriotism, often complementing the official Star-Spangled Banner. This song is both a plea to the Creator and a pledge of loyalty. Yet, somehow, we’ve lost sight of its call to stewardship.  

Unless you’re an Atlanta Braves fan and routinely hear opera tenor Timothy Miller belt out God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch, you may have never heard the compelling prelude. 

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free. Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, as we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

Allegiance. Gratitude. Prayer. 

This song calls us to honor not just a system of government or our national identity, but the LAND. 

Land that we love! From majestic mountains to lonesome prairies to powerful oceans, this song is a petition for blessing with an implicit responsibility to be caretakers. 

As we celebrate America’s 250^th birthday this year, it’s my hope our renewed patriotism extends beyond fireworks and flags. Let it rekindle within us a personal responsibility to be good stewards of the blessings we enjoy. Certainly, this includes civic engagement and honoring veterans, but it should also motivate us to demonstrate gratitude by protecting our natural resources. 

If we truly love this land, we will safeguard it for future generations. If we appreciate the grandeur of towering peaks and the bounty of the fruited plain (different song), we will honor them by keeping this land clean. We will do our part to ensure our children and grandchildren can enjoy shining seas. 

Even as I write these words, I know I’m “singing to the choir.” You are the keepers of this land we love. You show your patriotism by picking up other peoples’ trash and teaching our children that great blessing comes with great responsibility. 

Thank you for everything you do for our state and nation. God bless America, our home sweet home!

“After the Celebrations”

This summer has been an extraordinary time for the United States of America!  Not only have we celebrated 250 years of our great nation, but we have also hosted millions of visitors from around the world for World Cup matches.  Community pride and cleanups were on full display leading up to these monumental events, and we saw visitors on social media singing the praises of American hospitality and natural beauty.  Alabama was even fortunate enough to host a pre-World Cup match in Auburn, bringing thousands of first-time visitors to Alabama, which garnered worldwide attention and praise.  

So, now that these events are over, what comes next?  

As important as the cleaning and planning was prior to these events, what happens afterward is equally consequential.  The visitors have gone home, the roar of the crowds has died down, and all that is left of the fireworks shows are scattered remnants of plastic and cardboard.  Just as we would cleanup after hosting guests in our own homes, it is time to tidy up once again in the aftermath and ask ourselves what can be done “after the celebrations.”

Let’s take our renewed sense of community pride and turn it into action.  Encourage local businesses and groups to adopt miles in your area.  Talk with local schools about becoming a member of our Clean Campus Program to encourage litter pickup and prevention.  You can also mark your calendar to participate in the annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup which will be held on September 19^th this year.  

Of course, PALS’ volunteers have long been committed to keeping our communities clean, regardless of what is happening in the world around us.  For that, we are beyond grateful. PALS’ volunteers, corporate sponsors, board members, state agency partners, and members are all instrumental in keeping our state clean before, during, and after events, games, celebrations, parades, and even during everyday activities.  

The numbers for this year’s “Don’t Drop it on Alabama” Spring Cleanup are still rolling in, but groups have already reported over 400 tons of litter picked up.  That is a true testament to the power of everyone doing their part!  On pages 12-17 of the newsletter, you’ll see the faces of this year’s Spring Cleanup effort as well as our first ever Sponsor Spotlight featuring Coca-Cola United.  We are thankful for their Title Sponsorship once again this year.

As this historic summer comes to a close, let’s reflect on how fortunate we are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are proud to call this beautiful state home, and as visitors from around the world recently discovered, Alabama’s true beauty shines through its people. 

– Jamie Mitchell