Volunteers can pick up litter in Downtown San Rafael on Friday, Sept. 4, as part of a campaign to keep trash out of San Rafael's creeks and waterways.

Marin County and the Downtown San Rafael Business Improvement District are hosting the two-hour cleanup from 9 to 11 a.m. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. at City Plaza, 1000 Fourth St. Residents can sign up for the cleanup online.

The cleanup is part of the EPIC Campaign, short for Every Piece Inspires Change. The campaign began Aug. 1 and runs through Nov. 1, with the goal of stopping litter from reaching Marin waterways.

Downtown San Rafael was selected to participate in the initiative, which is organized by Marin County in partnership with the business improvement district.

The business improvement district said the Sept. 4 event aims to beautify downtown, remove litter before it reaches local waterways and make a visible difference in a couple of hours.

Downtown businesses can get involved beyond the cleanup day. Shops that host a "Creek Critter" window decal, display a counter sign explaining the campaign and share the effort on social media can earn recognition as a Clean Business on the Clean Marin website. The campaign provides signs, posters and a social media toolkit to participating stores.

Businesses that sign on also get listed on the Streets to Creeks website, which organizers say has more than 120,000 active users. The campaign includes engagement tools such as a scavenger hunt designed to draw foot traffic to participating shops.

Angie Daniel, a Marin County staff member coordinating the effort, is the contact for businesses and residents with questions. She can be reached at [email protected] or 415-473-6583.

No additional cleanup dates beyond Sept. 4 have been announced.