CLEAN STREETS
The gloves are out, and they’re here to help
For his 2009 New Year’s resolution, Allen Cain
By Matt Larson
decided that he and his daughter would take a walk
up and down Solano Avenue in Albany every day
before school. Most New Year’s resolutions don’t even last
a month, if that. Cain’s daughter, who was in 5th grade
attending Cornell Elementary at the time, lasted a few
weeks. But Cain stuck to the plan. 9 years later, he’s still
walking! And he’s not alone…
Walking the same route every day, Cain developed a
habit of picking trash up off the street. He even went
as far as contacting the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention to find appropriate gloves, that happened to
be blue, and were strong enough to not break against the
cement while picking up trash on his walk. But it wasn’t
just his selfless community service or shiny blue gloves that
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drew attention from his friends to inspire them to join his
efforts—it was his weight loss! “I started at 185, and I’m
at 155 now,” he said. “People started to notice my weight
loss and that sparked their interest to walk with me in the
morning!”
Today, Cain’s trash pick-up walk has become a group
effort. They meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
morning—rain or shine or holiday—and walk 5 miles
picking up trash on the street. “It just became a thing!”
said Cain, looking back on this unexpected journey. “We
all wear the gloves, of course, so we’re known as the Blue
Glove Crew.” Three mornings per week the Blue Glove
Crew averages 8 walkers per day, and have gone as high as
15, so far.