PHOTO COURTESY OF CHESTER EARL

Tacoma's first ever East Side Clean Sweep brought out about 900 volunteers from neighborhood schools, the community and Puyallup Tribe.

Tribe pitches in to clean up East Side

By Meghan Erkkinen

About 15 Puyallup tribal members were among about 900 volunteers who participated in Tacoma’s first-ever East Side Clean Sweep. The tribal effort was coordinated by Maria Orosco, head of the Tribe’s new gang prevention and safety program.

“It was really just something positive for the community to get out and clean their community, for one, and it was just really neat to have so many people working together on such a beautiful day. That hasn’t been done on the East Side really,” Maria Orosco said. “It was something new and something they really enjoyed.”

The tribal volunteers cleaned up an area around some of the Tribe’s housing. The effort involved picking up trash along the road. The larger Clean Sweep effort took place at and around 10 East Side schools. Volunteers worked to clean up the school grounds, as well as the safe walking paths leading away from the school.

The volunteers included students, parents and community members. Cleanup happened between 9 and 11 a.m. After that, volunteers boarded buses and headed to the Portland Avenue Community Center for a barbeque, awards and entertainment.

The Clean Sweep organizers hoped the project would be a way to brighten up the areas around schools, build partnerships between the school families and community members, and teach children about the benefits of public service.

“I think what was really the most amazing piece of the project was how everyone came together,” said Kate Frazier, family and school liaison for Tacoma Public Schools. “Everybody just took ownership of different pieces of it. What was so fabulous was seeing all of it come together.”

The effort was supported by a number of local businesses and organizations, including the Puyallup Tribe, which donated almost $6,000 for the purchase of T-shirts for the volunteers to wear.

“It was the best image I’ve ever seen,” Katie Frazier said. “It was nothing but green shirts everywhere picking up garbage.”

The school district plans to organize a similar event again next year, and Maria Orosco said her program would be delighted to help out.

“If it was available and people were able to come out and do it, I’d really look forward to doing it again,” she said.

Story Tools