CINCINNATI — The Ohio River waves were the soundtrack of choice Saturday morning for Great Parks volunteers participating in the Ohio River Sweep.
The event — which is held alongside the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) — brought community members, including Miami University senior Andrew D'Allesandris, together at Woodland Mound to clean the banks of the river.
D'Allensandris told WCPO 9 News he brought what he's learned in his leadership class to life during the Ohio River Sweep.
"We are trying to use some of the skills and information that we’ve learned in leadership class and try to apply them to a real-life situation, and I also try to get back a little bit," he said.
Hear more about the Ohio River Sweep and its impact in the video below:
Every volunteer received a shirt, a pair of gloves, trash bags, a bucket and a pair of trash grabbers.
Great Parks Volunteer Engagement Specialist Joe Von Allmen said after the snowfall from this past winter and the recent rainfall in the Queen City, it's time for some spring cleaning.
"When those levels of the Ohio River rise, that brings in all the litter," Von Allmen said. "And you know, it’s important to keep these areas clear for, you know, the critters (who) call it home."
He said this effort is community-driven, making it so special.
"We encourage any age volunteer to come out here and help us today. It's a way to build community and accomplish something at the same time," he said.
For more information about future volunteering opportunities, click here.
Von Allmen said last year they collected close to 180,000 pieces of litter.
"We almost built a car last year based on the parts we found in the river," he said.
During Saturday's cleanup, Great Parks said volunteers collected 30 bags of trash, including 15 pieces of lumber, three wheels and five miscellaneous large pieces of garbage.
D'Allessandris said helping with the River Sweep ignites the feeling of having "a little pride in where you live."
"It doesn't take much to come out and give a little time, and it makes a little impact that's amplified by the more people that come out," he said.
Great Parks will hold its next Ohio River Sweep on July 12 at Fernbank Park.
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