Rochester, NY — Walking For Rochester will officially launch its 2026 Community Cleanup Program with a season kickoff event on Saturday, April 4th at Bee Relentless Boxing in Rochester. Cleanup Time: 12pm – 1pm. Pizza and soft drinks served at 1:15pm. Address: 565 Blossom Rd Suite E, Rochester, NY 14610. The event will mark the beginning of the organization’s largest cleanup season to date, with more than 200 litter cleanups planned across the city from April through September.

The kickoff cleanup will bring volunteers together to remove litter from the surrounding neighborhood and celebrate the start of another year of community driven environmental action. Volunteers will meet at Bee Relentless Boxing before heading out for a one hour cleanup, with pizza and refreshments provided for participants afterward.

Matt Apple, Co founder and CEO of Walking For Rochester, said the kickoff event represents more than just the start of the cleanup season.

“Our goal is to make Rochester, NY litter free,” Apple said. “This season we’re embracing a relentless mindset. Eliminating litter requires consistency, persistence, and people who refuse to ignore the problem. Launching our cleanup season at Bee Relentless Boxing is the perfect fit, because the word relentless captures exactly how we plan to approach this work across Rochester.”

Bee Relentless Boxing, a family owned gym led by owner Stephen Castro and his wife Sam, will host the event. Castro has built the gym around a philosophy centered on personal growth, consistency, and community impact.

“I don’t measure success by how many clients we have, but by how many lives we change,” Castro said. “Opening our doors to this event is a natural extension of that mission. When people come together to improve the place they live, that’s real impact.”

Walking For Rochester’s Community Cleanup Program mobilizes volunteers across the city to remove litter from Rochester’s streets, parks, and neighborhoods. The program operates multiple events each week during the cleanup season and is supported by local businesses, community partners, and volunteers.

The organization will release its full April cleanup schedule on March 25. Community members interested in volunteering for the kickoff event or future cleanups can sign up at https://walkingforrochester.org