Collierville’s top employees got down and dirty Friday.

About a dozen department heads participated in the state Department of Transportation’s “No Trash November” contest. The monthlong campaign encouraged community groups and organizations to clean their roadways ahead of the holidays.

“Sometimes we get so chained to our desks and all the things going on, we don’t get the chance to see things close and personal,” said James Lewellen, town administrator. “This is a great way to give back to the community in more than one way.”

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The blue jean-clad crew standing out in their brightly colored vests, gathered rubbish along both sides of Poplar just east of Collierville-Arlington Road. The town’s Special Citizen Volunteer Patrol drove alongside staff so cars zipping by would slow down.

In close to an hour, the group collected about 700 pounds of litter with the crisp fall temperatures hovering below 50. In the shaded areas, it felt even cooler.

Along the road, discarded cups, straws, hundreds of cigarette butts, dozens of empty beer bottles, and various empty cans cluttered the shoulders. Even some car parts were found near the border of Fayette and Shelby counties.

Dale Lane, chief of police, found part of an office chair alongside the road, and Jay Jeffries, director of human resources, recovered a deer skull. Adam Hamric, assistant city administrator, found a raccoon-sized mandible and an unopened White Claw seltzer.

“I found it, flipped it over and then looked and the top was still sealed,” he said, passing on popping the top and dropping it in the trash bag instead. 

Aldermen John Worley and John Stamps joined the employees. Alderwoman Missy Marshall noted many are traveling not only to Tennessee, but to Collierville for Christmas. Next week the holiday season officially kicks off in Collierville with Tuesday’s tree lighting on the historic Town Square.

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“Litter affects tourism,” she noted, adding the clean roadsides will help promote a warm welcome to visitors.

Marshall, Jeffries and John Fox, public utilities manager, and Jennifer Casey, town public information officer, climbed over the ditch on the south side of the road and through thick brush to gather debris.

“Today was really symbolic of the type of leaders we have working for the town,” Casey said after the event. “No one is above any job. That makes Collierville a better place.”

Many said they enjoyed the opportunity to step outside the office and away from their computers for a different form of work.

“I believe you lead by example,” Lane said. “Hopefully, I can inspire somebody to make our community cleaner and safer. It’s all about public safety.”