PROVO, Utah — Earth Week wrapped up with a very special and very big event in Utah County.
At Timpanogos Park in Provo, the group "Fish for Garbage" held its annual event. This year is special because it’s the 10th anniversary.
“It’s been great to watch it grow from a few dozen people to now a few hundred people," said board chairman Jared Winkler. "We’re expecting more than 400 folks showing up today, walking around, picking up trash along Provo Canyon, come back and enjoy a nice barbecue. Some years it lands on Earth Day, but we do it around the same weekend each year.”
WATCH: How 'Fish for Garbage' is cleaning Utah waterways
“It’s really fun to see everybody out, as a community, taking care of the place that we love," said Lauren Weinberg, who is participating in Fish For Garbage for her third year.
“We come hang out on the Provo, we fish, we tube it, we hike, we walk along the Provo River Trail, all of it. And it’s just an important part of our lives — something we value a lot," added Matthew Weinberg.
Last year, they took 100,000 pounds of garbage out of rivers, streams and other waterways.
"You would think we’d be making a dent in it, but each year we keep grabbing more and more," Winkler said. "Today alone we’re expecting to get 10,000 pounds. Last year we got 14,000 pounds. If we break that record, it’ll be awesome!”
“It’s just a lot of people who care and kind of share in the love, doing little things. It’s just really easy to get out here on a Saturday morning," Matthew Weinberg said.
There are another handful of events coming up this summer. You can learn more on their website: fishforgarbage.org.
