Portlanders Invited to Join Citywide Cleanup Effort on June 25 and 26

Press Release

SOLVE hosting fifth annual Pick It Up, Portland! event.

Published

June 9, 2021 11:57 am

SOLVE is hosting its fifth annual Pick It Up, Portland! event on Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26. This citywide cleanup event, hosted in partnership with Pacific Power, the City of Portland, and other organizations, is an opportunity for Portlanders across the city to roll up their sleeves and help clean up the city.

Portland is on a fast track to recovering from the pandemic and the associated economic downturn. With Oregon on a trajectory to drop its pandemic-related restrictions by the end of June, Portlanders are gearing up to return to the activities and traditions they’ve missed for more than a year. Enjoying full stadiums at sporting events. Socializing at restaurants and bars. Visiting events at Waterfront Park. Going to movies.

The Pick It Up, Portland! effort will help ensure that Portlanders return to a city that’s cleaner and more welcoming than it was just months before.

“Pick It Up, Portland! comes at an important time for our city. We are expecting many businesses, venues, and other attractions to reopen soon,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “We want Portlanders to feel welcome in all parts of our city when that happens. Cleanup events like this help get us there.”

More than 20 Pick It Up, Portland! cleanup events will take place in neighborhoods across the city. SOLVE will provide volunteers supplies including heavy-duty garbage bags, litter grabbers, safety vests, and vinyl gloves. Volunteers must wear face coverings and closed-toed shoes.

As this city-wide cleanup event approaches, SOLVE is also launching its Pick It Up, Portland! fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $10,000 to help cover the cost of cleanup kits for the future.

SOLVE is also partnering with Transition Projects during the Friday, June 25 Pick It Up, Portland! events. Volunteers can support Transition Project’s work with Portlanders experiencing homelessness by donating men’s underwear and belts at donation drop bins located at the check-in areas for the cleanup events.

To sign up for a Pick It Up, Portland! cleanup event, click one of the links below or go to https://www.solveoregon.org/pick-it-up-portland.