(October 7, 2026) One person’s commitment to community pride and environmental stewardship is making a visible difference across Erie County. Anthony Sorci was honored by Pennsylvania State Representatives Patrick Harkins of the 1st Legislative District and Robert Merski of the 2nd Legislative District with the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Community Pride Award for his community cleanup efforts.

Anthony Sorci has taken it upon himself to tackle litter and illegal dumping at locations throughout the county, dedicating countless hours to cleaning roadsides, interstate ramps, and public spaces. Sorci’s efforts have stretched across Interstate 79 and Interstate 90, where he has removed litter from numerous on- and off-ramps, as well as from various sections of I-79. His work has also extended to secondary state roads and township roadways throughout Erie County, helping restore the natural beauty of communities large and small.

Recognizing that meaningful change often requires collaboration, Sorci has worked closely with PennDOT representatives who coordinate roadside cleanup initiatives, as well as Don Benczkowski, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Lake Erie Region Program Coordinator. Together, these partnerships have strengthened local efforts to reduce litter and improve the appearance of public spaces across the region.

Most recently, Sorci played a key role in addressing a persistent litter problem at a truck stop in Summit Township. Through his cleanup efforts and collaboration with Summit Township officials, he helped bring attention to the issue and contributed to housekeeping and maintenance improvements designed to better control litter at the site.

“Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. Sometimes people don’t respect that beauty, and they dump trash and garbage along the side of our road and byways instead of disposing of it properly. Anthony Sorci goes above and beyond to make sure Erie County is clean. This is especially due to garbage making its way to the tributaries that feed Lake Erie and our drinking water. The impact he has made in keeping our community clean is remarkable!” said Representative Merski.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to recognize Anthony Sorci with the Community Pride Award. Anthony’s dedication demonstrates the impact one individual can have on an entire community. His willingness to volunteer his time and energy to improve Erie County’s roadsides and public spaces serves as an example for others and reflects a deep commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Shannon Reiter, Executive Director, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

The Community Pride Award is available to elected officials to recognize those in the community working to change behaviors at the local level. Elected officials interested in nominating a constituent for a Community Pride Award should visit keeppabeautiful.org and choose grants and awards, then awards, then Community Pride Award for more information. The award is open on a rolling basis.

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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has supported hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state in their community improvement efforts. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s core programming focuses on litter and illegal dump prevention, cleanup, community greening, and proper waste handling and sustainable practices. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful works with many partnering organizations on the state and grassroots level to accomplish our goal of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.

Download the press release.