Volunteers Help Make Keep Irving Beautiful’s 25th Annual Trash Bash a Success

Irving, TX, October 01, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) hosted its 25th Annual Trash Bash, the organization’s signature cleanup event, at T.W. Richardson Grove Park on September 24. There were 623 volunteers of all ages (320 adults and 303 youth) who came out to help pick up litter and keep it out of the nearby Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The group gave 1,869 hours of service in collecting 3,360 pounds of trash and 520 pounds of recyclables. Following the event, a hot dog lunch was served, with chips donated by Frito-Lay. For the fifth year, the Trash Bash was held on National Public Lands Day, with thousands of volunteers engaged in similar projects across the country. This year’s event was made even more special through a partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Irving was one of 25 communities state-wide to be chosen as a host city for the “Trash and Treasures” events, which are being held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the “Don’t Mess with Texas” program. For the third straight year, volunteers brought canned food items, a total of 272, which were donated to the Baptist Benevolent Ministries of Irving Crisis Food Pantry.

The Trash Bash is much more than just picking up litter, and while that is important, KIB also includes additional components to make the experience better for all. Naturalist and fossil expert Jon Halsey and snake expert Barry Allen brought their displays of artifacts and reptiles, respectively, and North Lake College nursing students provided complimentary blood pressure screenings as an additional service to the volunteers. Water Utilities staff was on site with an information table and prize wheel, and provided cold water to the volunteers.

KIB’s partnerships with City of Irving Departments played a big role in the success of the Trash Bash. The Parks Department reserved the location and provided logistic support, Solid Waste Services provided a roll-off dumpster and weighed the bags collected, and Corporate Communications sent an ICTN crew to video the action and interview the participants. A team of Code Enforcement, Housing and Human Services and Human Resources employee volunteers demonstrated their culinary skills in preparing and serving the hot dog lunch. The Mayor’s office also provided an official proclamation declaring September 24 as “Trash Bash Day in Irving.” Partners who contributed to the success of the event included: perennial sponsor Vizient, who also donated insulated drinking cups; Verizon, whose Green Team members packed and distributed 250 goodie bags to volunteers; AcuGraphics, who printed the new design T-shirts; Fast Signs Las Colinas; and the Rambler and Burb Newspapers. Prizes were generously donated by the Irving Family YMCA, Kroger, Glory House, Arnold Brothers Forest Products, and Magician Maxwell Blade. North Lake College’s Alpha Zeta Eta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society helped with every part of the event, starting with the planning and recruiting process. They were there early to set up and stayed late to pack up, and participated by greeting volunteers, passing out supplies and T-shirts, working in litter crews, and helping with food service.

“The Trash Bash has become an Irving tradition that so many people look forward to each year,” said KIB Board President Jim Scrivner. “Over these 25 years, we have tried to make it more than just picking up trash. Our volunteers enjoy learning about water conservation, wildlife and fossils and contributing to the canned food drive, and providing a service like blood pressure screening just adds another element to the event. Having TxDOT as a partner for the Trash and Treasures event this year really put the Trash Bash over the top, and we think this was our best one yet.”

Keep Irving Beautiful is a non-profit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating our community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification in order to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of our city. As an award winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to and partners with all sectors of our city including government, business, church, cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. If you are interested in volunteering with KIB, or making your activity a “green event,” please go to www.keepirvingbeautiful.org, or call the KIB office at 972-721-2175.