71-year-old woman cleans Abbeville’s State Street just because

At least once a week, 71-year-old Sandra Marant can be found sweeping up cigarette butts, money, vomit, paper, broken glass or anything else that could be found on South State Street in Abbeville.
Marant volunteers two hours a week and sweeps up the trash along South State Street from the courthouse down to the Abbey Players. She has been doing this for three years.
Depending how hot the weather is will depend on how early in the morning she begins. There were times where she started at 5:30 before the sun rises.
She brings a pull-cart, a water bottle, a hand-grabber for trash, a broom, dust pan to hold the trash and an orange vest to wear. If she gets too hot and needs a rest, she will walk into CC’s for a cold glass of water.
Depending on where the shade is will depend on what side of State Street she begins.
“I do it because I love Abbeville,” said Marant, who lived in Houma for 15 years before moving to Abbeville five years ago. “I want to make Abbeville the best looking city around.”
There is no other citizen in Abbeville who has adopted a downtown street like Marant. Over time, she has almost been run over by drivers who are in a hurry to find a parking spot on South State Street. They drive in and do not see her sweeping; because of that, she is always paying attention to her surroundings as she sweeps.
She has also had to dodge large mirrors attached to large trucks as she cleans.
Marant cleans the sidewalks and where vehicles park. She empties the trash-cans in front of businesses if they need to be emptied.
When the Cattle Festival starts, Marant can be found on the street cleaning before the festival, during the festival and after festival.
Over time, she has swept the wet vomit from the night before, and she picked up a loaded baby diaper.
There are some benefits to her sweeping. She finds an average of a penny a morning. On a great day, she locates a nickel.
However, that is not why she does it. Like she said earlier, she loves Abbeville and wants it to look its best and is willing to give two hours a week to make it happen.