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On September 13, club music filled the air as neighbors, armed with lime green bags, picked up trash from Allston’s streets for Stamina DJ Collective’s second annual Clean Yo Block.

Allston resident Zach Shelley, who founded Clean Yo Block with Genesis Lara, describes the event as “grassroots community cleaning mixed with a mobile dance party.”

The collective of volunteers and DJs began at Ringer Park (85 Allston St) and picked up trash from portions of Allston’s main roads, including Cambridge Street and Brighton Avenue, and their side roads. DJs mixed music from a moving cart, where DJ controllers and speakers also stood. Local DJs composed of Shelley, Louie Lanka, Austin Gallagher, and James Walker rotated behind the decks. A police escort accompanied the group.

This is Shelley and Lara’s second year running Clean Yo Block. The biggest difference from last year was the new cart, which was designed and built by Lara. 

“Genesis has built this cart literally from the ground up, all by herself. She killed it. She delivered a hundred percent of what she said. It is bigger, it is better, and it is badder,” says Shelley.

The pair’s different interests, yet shared care for Allston inspired the making of Clean Yo Block.

“We’re just looking at how much trash is left over from either Allston Christmas or college students just coming in.” says Lara. “I really appreciate the Earth. I appreciate the environment. Zach cares about music, and he has a love for people boogying and having a good time and getting loose. That’s when we were like, ‘What if we’re riding around with a little cart and got the booming speakers and we’re just going at it and picking up trash and listening to music and dancing?’”

The idea was brought to fruition in the pair’s partnership with Allston Village Main Streets, which has provided logistical and financial support to the event. For instance, when grant funding fell through this year, AVMS filled in the cracks.

“If you have a great idea, like Clean Yo Block, or something along the lines of community cleaning, they’re just a phone call away — that goes for a lot of these organizations,” says Shelley. “They’re looking for young artists and young creatives and young people who want to give back to their community.”

For Shelley, the pride he feels in events like Clean Yo Block in Allston echoes the pride his father took in maintaining his car.

“You have pride in living in a community, and he had pride in his vehicle,” says Shelley. “He wanted to make sure it was clean and well cared for. And I feel the exact same way about Allston. Clean Yo Block’s goal is to instill that sense of responsibility through community cleaning.” ■