SAN ANTONIO – This year, more than 3,000 volunteers came out across 23 different sites across San Antonio to clear trash out of rivers and waterways.
The efforts are all part of Basura Bash, hosted by nonprofit River Aid San Antonio in collaboration with other community groups, city offices and volunteers.
“We’ve picked up shoes and soles ... Somebody found a life jacket, Styrofoam, a bunch of cups,” said high school student Jayden Ytuarte.
Paulina Garcia, another high school student, said the entire experience was “satisfying.”
“We started off just seeing a whole bunch of trash everywhere, and then as we slowly looked down the creek, we turned back and then we’ll see it’s looking so much better,” Garcia said.
Garcia and Ytuarte volunteered at the Sixmile Creek on the South Side of town, digging around the creek for trash and bagging it up.
They were joined by several volunteers across the city who say the tradition has grown past one day of hard work.
“When you get down here, you realize that you’re not the only person pushing a boulder up a mountain against this problem," said Charles Blank, executive director of River Aid San Antonio.
Blank said the turnout for the rescheduled event has been exciting to see, and he believes the community is looking to do more work like this year-round.
“It’s the people, the community that come together and really, you know, recognize that they all want to fix this problem, and a day like this will give them that spark to take action throughout the year,” he said.
Ytuarte and Garcia encourage other students their age to volunteer with a community organization that helps develop a pride for where they live.
“It feels like you’re actually getting out and doing something that’s hardworking instead of just staying at home and maybe watching TV or something,” Garcia said.
The team behind Basura Bash said they’re still tallying up how many pounds of trash have been collected, but they’re optimistic about the numbers.
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