From Lake Como to the Trinity River and across Fort Worth, more than 5,000 volunteers gathered to give the city its annual spring cleaning.
“It’s definitely needed for sure,” said Juli Ragland, the Fort Worth Code Compliance environmental program manager. “We have city of Fort Worth employees helping particular areas that are in need of litter cleanup throughout the year.”
This year’s Cowtown Great American Cleanup had 5,300 volunteers signed up to help clean up Fort Worth.
Kayaks sit in a parking lot waiting to be used March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteers with Keep Fort Worth Beautiful take a kayak back up a hill March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteers help each other out of kayaks March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteers with Keep Fort Worth Beautiful use kayaks to clean trash out of the Trinity River March 25 at the river near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteers carry trash bags to a parking lot for Fort Worth Solid Waste Management to pick up March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteers Heather Reck, right, and Levi Reck, left, kayak back to land March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Volunteer Heather Reck brings a trash bag to land March 25 at the Clear Fork Trinity River near Merrimac Circle during the Cowtown Great American Cleanup. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Guests at the Cowtown Great American Cleanup event could vote on best “Trashion” outfit March 25 at Trinity Park. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Musician Zuriel Merek performs at the Cowtown Great American Cleanup event March 25 at Trinity Park. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
The number of pounds cleaned up March 25 has not been made available, but volunteers picked up 11,0054 pounds, or 49.92 tons, of trash in 2022 with 4,000 estimated volunteers, Ragland said.
At the Trinity River near Merrimac Circle, volunteers on the kayak team paddled to and from shore bringing back bags full of trash each time.
The event closed off at Trinity Park with vendors, music, food and a “Trashion” contest — a fashion contest with outfits made solely of trash.
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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