Keeping the Ohio River beautiful is what 50 county volunteers will be doing on Saturday, June 18, as they spend four hours picking up litter along the banks during the 27th annual Ohio River Sweep.

Right now, organizer Stephanie Helms is looking for volunteers to man four sites — boat ramps at Coal Grove, Center Street, South Point and Symmes Creek.

Helms, of the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste District, said the trash is caused by a number of reasons.

“Some of it is due to flooding,” Helms said. “Some because of fishermen on the riverbank. We see Styrofoam cups, beer cans and soda bottles. Occasionally we will see the random tire.”

Volunteers are assigned sites and provided with bags, gloves and T-shirts.

“We tell them to look out for broken glass and needles and use common sense when collecting these things,” Helms said. “Don’t wear open-toed shoes and look out for poison ivy.”

To register to be a volunteer, contact Helms at 740-532-1231.

“The River Sweep is one of the district’s programs,” Dan Palmer, director of the solid waste district. “It is vital that we get out to the public of not littering and polluting the waterways.”

The event runs from 9 a.m.-noon.