Under overcast skies, around 600 volunteers from more than 20 companies came together on June 1 to beautify Downtown Atlanta ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Led by the Blank Family of Businesses in collaboration with Hands On Atlanta, the City of Atlanta, and business partners, the “Together for Downtown” Community Day initiative covered over 25 city blocks and included efforts like landscaping, mural painting, trash pickup, and graffiti removal.
The energy was high as volunteers gathered under the Falcon sculpture at Gate 2 of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Included among the pre-event speakers were CEO of AMBSE Rich McKay, CEO of SoDo Atlanta Jon Birdsong, Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Andre Dickens Austin Wagner, and President and CEO of Hands On Atlanta Naomi Green.
“The mayor always says Atlanta is a group project, and this is the example of that here: all the different faces and folks and backgrounds that are here coming together to do volunteer work for our great city,” Wagner said in his remarks.
Many of the speakers emphasized that the day’s efforts were not solely for World Cup visitors, but for current residents and future residents. Green shared that the volunteers would contribute a combined 3600 hours of service and $105,666 of value to South Downtown Atlanta, which equates to a 10-person team working 40 hours per week for nine weeks.
“That is what happens when people from around our city decide to roll up their sleeves and rise up together,” Green said.
“We know that volunteerism strengthens our cities and supports our neighbors and neighborhoods, and not only that, but it helps build connection, it helps create conversation, and it highlights commonality, and like everyone else has said, the work cannot stop today,” Green said. “Real change happens in Atlanta when we choose again and again to create a meaningful difference across our city.”
With the first Atlanta match of the World Cup fast approaching on June 15, revitalization efforts, construction, and roadwork have been heavily prevalent across the city. The city is anticipating between 300,000-500,000 unique visitors across the eight matches taking place at the Mercedes-Benz, which will be known as the “Atlanta Stadium” for the duration of the World Cup in accordance with FIFA requirements.
“We put a lot of faith in Atlanta, and they have showed up, they’ve come through, and this moment is ours,” Birdsong said. “It’s Atlanta’s turn to have a thriving, safe Downtown, and this moment today really signifies how much Atlanta’s all in on Downtown.”
WORLD CUP COVERAGE: See all of Rough Draft’s FIFA World Cup reporting here.
