Students from Green River Community College gathered together on Saturday May 2nd and joined forces with the Veteran Conservation Corp and volunteers to help clean up the Green River Gorge area.
Green River Community College student Lacy O'Grady was responsible for organizing ground crew Saturday.
The ground crew was split up to pick up garbage in fifteen different areas along the Green River Gorge in efforts to keep the river clean and preserve the surrounding area.
This was her first year working alongside, The Middle Green River Coalition, Friends of the Green, groups and organizations that have all come together for one purpose of preserving the Green River Gorge.
Her previous efforts in cleaning up the Green River done in August gained her recognition, which is part of the reason she was part of the Green River Clean Up on May 2nd.
In O'Grady's personal experience she has realized, "People aren't very respectful to the river."
This is part of the passion that drives her to be an active participant in cleaning the beauty around her.
Sven Soholt, a student from Green River Community College was one of the approximately 250 volunteers present at the Green River Clean Up May 2nd.
Soholt is also part of the Veteran Conservation Corp which was involved in ground crew work Saturday that assisted in collecting two to three truck loads of garbage that was hauled away. Soholt has had previous desire to clean up the Green River and Saturday May 2nd gave him the opportunity to help with the Annual Green River Clean Up.
The Green River Clean Up also attracted boaters and kayakers. Regular water adventure seekers, sought to clean the river they use.
Patricia Sumpton has been a part of the Green River Clean Up for 24 years from the beginning. Sumpton participated in the event Saturday and said that there was a good
turnout of boaters and ground crew.
Many boaters and kayakers began their trip at The Green River Headworks located in the city of Tacoma and traveled the river. Those who participated in clean up gather trash on their way down the river.
The Green River Clean Up was held for the 24th year bringing the theme, "A Ribbon of Wilderness in Our Midst".
Wolf Bauer who is the Father behind the Green River Clean Up began a campaign in the 1960's to preserve the Green River Gorge after realizing it was too late to help save the Cowlitz River.
Wolf Bauer aggressively and successfully sparked passion from the people to see the beauty near them and work towards the preserving what they could. In an article In, The Seattle Times, Bauer called the Green River Gorge, "A Ribbon of Wilderness in our Midst".
May 2nd marked the 24th annual Green River Clean Up. The clean up is now recognized as the longest running river cleanup in Washington State.
is a member of the 
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