Anyone who grimaces at the sight of trash along roadsides has an opportunity to make a difference.

Oakland County’s road commission needs volunteers for the annual Adopt-A-Road program.

“This program is a great way for organizations and individuals to give back to their communities,” said Eric McPherson, the road commission’s chairman. “Every piece of litter removed makes a difference, and we appreciate the volunteers who make the program possible.”

Volunteer groups adopt a stretch of a road and support two of the three scheduled clean-up events, which start in spring and end each fall: The dates:

• April 5-13

• July 12-20

• Sept. 20-28

The road commission trains each group and provides orange safety vests and garbage bags for cleanup events. Adopt-A-Road signs will be posted at each end of a road section to recognize a group’s organization or company. Road commissioners approve road segments for volunteers.

So far, 378 organizations’ volunteers have helped keep 586 miles of roads litter free.

People who can’t volunteer but want to support the effort are asked to avoid littering and encourage others to do the same. Drivers are asked to slow down when traveling by volunteers clearing the roadsides of litter.

Groups interested in volunteering must call the road commission’s permits division at (248) 858-4891 or email adoptaroad@rcoc.org.