Several community activists abroad are among the most recent recipients of Latvian state awards, the Chapter of Orders has announced in Rīga.

Receiving the Order of Three Stars, Fourth Class, are community activists Oļģerts Kubuliņš of Ohio and Juris Padegs of New York, as well as community activist, teacher and Treji Vārti editor Julieta Rumberga of Michigan.

The Order of the Three Stars (Triju zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian honor Latvia bestows. It is awarded for “outstanding merit in the service of Latvia,” according to the Chapter of Orders.

The chapter, part of the president’s office, announced the most recent awards on March 30.

The Order of Three Stars, Fifth Class, goes to Tija Krūmiņa, a community activist from Maryland and general secretary of the World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība); to Jānis Kunga, a professor and member of the board of the Dzintars Latvian Cultural Society in Krasnojarsk, Russia; to Vilis Mileiko, a community activist and doctor in Ontario; and to community activist and doctor Dzintars Rolands Paegle from Indiana.

In all, 35 Latvians in the homeland and abroad are among the most recent recipients of the Order of Three Stars.

Awarded the Cross of Recognition, Fourth Class, are Andris Ķesteris, a community activist and vice chairperson of the Latvian National Association in Canada, and Valdis Vilnis Pavlovskis, a community activist and head of the Information Office for the American Latvian Association.

The Cross of Recognition (Atzinības krusts) is awarded for “outstanding patriotism and achievements for the good of the nation, society, culture, science, sports and education,” according to the Chapter of Orders. In all, 33 persons were awarded the Cross of Recognition.

The Chapter of Orders also awarded 23 men and women in Latvia the Order of Viesturs (Viestura ordenis), which honors outstanding merit in military service.

Across Latvia thousands of people are expected to gather April 18 for the second annual Great Cleanup Day (Lielā Talka), a project that aims to make the Baltic region the cleanest in the world.

Last year an estimated 50,000 participants filled more than 260,000 trash bags with litter found around the country, according to organizers. The first event took place Sept. 13 and was part of the yearlong celebration of the 90th anniversary of Latvia’s declaration of independence.

This year similar efforts are expected to take place in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and the region of St. Petersburg, Russia.

So far nearly 480 municipalities, schools, organizations and companies have signed up to coordinate local cleanup events this year, organizers said in a press release. In addition, the state government has allocated LVL 36,540 to help municipalities with the cost of transporting the trash.

Among groups active in last year’s effort were Latvians from Australia.

The idea for the Great Cleanup Day came from writer Anna Žīgure.

Work begins at 10 a.m. local time in Latvia.

Organizers of the Great Cleanup Day are the nongovernmental organization Project Footprints (Projeks Pēdas) and the interest group For Clean Forests (Tīriem mežiem). For further information on the project, visit talkas.lv.