The event, courtesy of SOLVE, is in its third year in Vancouver, and it attracts more than 100 volunteers who venture out in the streets of downtown to pick up litter

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

It was another day of action for volunteers in downtown Vancouver on Friday, courtesy of SOLVE.

Pick It Up, Vancouver returned to the city with approximately 100 volunteers who gathered and then spread out to pick up trash in and around the surrounding blocks of Esther Short Park.

This is the third Pick It Up, Vancouver event.

“The work we do is really hands-on. A lot of volunteers want to come out and give back to the community,” said Kris Carico, chief executive officer of SOLVE. “They put in a couple of hours of work and they get to bring the trash back and look at the fruits of their labor. Makes them feel really good.”

The volunteers picked up enough litter to fill a 3-yard dumpster. An official tally of the weight of the litter collected will be announced next week.

SOLVE started as a stop litter campaign in Oregon but has evolved into a celebration of volunteerism, with a focus on clean-up projects. A SOLVE vehicle was at Esther Short Park on Friday, with messaging on the vehicle stating: “Taking care of Oregon.”

It turns out that messaging is the old branding. SOLVE wants to make sure that Clark County residents know they are part of its mission, as well.

“We share a river. We really want to expand our footprint and be a resource to Southwest Washington,” Caricos said.

Many of the volunteers on Friday were part of local businesses who used the day not only to pick up garbage but to work together, outside of the office, to help Vancouver.

“For us, we just want to give back to the community and help clean up and take care of where we are,” said Sara Noble, proudly wearing her iQ Credit Union shirt. “We are people helping people.”

Noble said iQ encourages its employees to get engaged and be involved in the community.

SOLVE has been holding Pick It Up events in several cities in Oregon and now is in its third year in Washington, in Vancouver.

“As Vancouver and its surrounding communities continue to flourish, ensuring the cleanliness of our public spaces is more important than ever,” according to a press release from SOLVE. “Litter not only detracts from the city’s natural beauty but also poses environmental hazards that can impact local wildlife and waterways.”