More than 100 city workers and volunteers donned bright yellow T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “All-In Gary” and took to the streets, alleys and vacant lots for the second annual community-wide cleanup.

Participants — supported by General Services employees — picked up trash, tackled weeds and overgrown lots and planted flowers as part of the effort to beat back blight. Mayor Jerome Prince kicked off the second annual clean-up effort Thursday when he hopped in an excavator at 25th Avenue and Broadway to tear down an abandoned building.

“I got a chance to run the excavator. It’s just another eyesore that has been removed. It was exciting,” Prince said of running the heavy equipment.

Rachelle Morgan-Ceasar, director of constituent affairs for the city, said participation in the All-In cleanup had increased since the first event last fall, which was mostly city workers. This year, 13 community groups signed up for Friday and another 22 signed up for Saturday. Promotional efforts encouraged residents to clean up their yards or blocks as part of the effort.

This year the city took the cleanup one step further and added a beautification component. Volunteers planted flowers downtown. Morgan-Ceasar said the goal of this year’s cleanup is to build out the footprint created by the first All-In clean up and continue to grow from there.

“We got some good momentum going last year,” she said.

Sandra Johnson-Alleyne of Gary was volunteering with the team from United Way of Northwest Indiana cleaning up the area around the Adam Benjamin Metro Center.

“What brings me out today is I want to give back, give back to the City of Gary,” Johnson-Alleyne said. She said she knows the city does not have enough workers to keep up with the trash and debris everywhere, so it was important for people to pitch in.

She said it is important for people to live in a community where they can be proud.“I love volunteering. I’m just happy to be here representing what the mayor is trying to do. It’s positive,” she said.

Kasie Tenbarge, chief development director with the United Way, said the agency’s goal is to help communities however it can.

“We do serve residents in Gary. We want to be involved in a good way to help out,” she said. The cleanup is one of the ways the agency can help.

Kris Taylor, director of development for United Way, said, as a resident of the city, what really touched for her was the morale boost people get from seeing things cleaned up. She said the agency and its employees are always looking for ways to positively impact the communities it serves.

“When you come together and tackle one spot and then another it creates a sense of pride, a sense of community,” she said.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.