ROCHESTER, N.Y. — With the solar eclipse just nine days away, a coalition of neighborhood and business groups came together to clean up Monroe Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

Volunteers came together to clean up Monroe Avenue from Culver Street to Howell Street, to prepare and beautify the street before the total solar eclipse.

Using brooms, rakes, and trash bags, volunteers made their way down Monroe Avenue picking up everything from cans and wrappers to dirt that has collected on the sidewalk after the snow we’ve had this month.

Rome Celli, the president of the Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association, said the purpose of Saturday’s event was to tidy up the streets for the thousands of visitors who are expected to come to our area for the eclipse on April 8. In addition to cleaning up the streets, he says demonstrating the community can come together for this event is just as important — which is why he was so glad to see so many people helping out on the street.

“So volunteers are gathering — this is one spot, there are several,” Celli said. “And we’ve got garbage bags, small tools, and gloves and so forth, and those are provided by the City of Rochester. So we’re doing something called a mini clean sweep, and that’s really in support of the city. Volunteers will walk up and down Monroe Avenue picking up garbage and debris and doing a little bit of light raking, just a light cleanup.”

After the cleanup event, volunteers gathered for a lunch to celebrate the occasion.