This April, the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) hosted its 28th Annual Great LA River Clean Up: La Gran Limpieza! FOLAR organizers divided the river into three sections for three separate clean-up days. Team FilmL.A. chose to direct its efforts to the mid-river areas as part of Earth Day 2017.
Team FilmL.A. joined thousands of LA River supporters in bagging trash, clothing and other debris collected at the river banks near the “Frog Spot” near Atwater Village. Employees and their family members recovered countless plastic bags and food wrappers, multiple shopping carts and even a production directional sign from the river’s banks. Other interesting treasure pulled from the river this year were pillows and bedding, as well as mud-soaked luggage, brooms, clothing and tools.
2017 marked six years of participation by the non profit. “The LA River Clean Up is FilmL.A.’s opportunity to give back to communities that host local filming,” said Danielle Matthews Walker, Communications Coordinator and clean up team organizer for FilmL.A.
On the first weekend of the clean up, 2,000 volunteers participated and hauled away an estimated 26 tons of trash.
The second weekend yielded ever larger numbers as over 6,000 volunteers came out to clear over 70 tons of trash and debris from the river banks.
By the end of the third weekend, FOLAR stated that 10,000 volunteers had removed more than 100 tons of trash from the 51 mile river and its banks!
“Congratulations to staff at FoLAR for another successful river clean up,” said FilmL.A. President Paul Audley. “FilmL.A. is proud to have participated in the LA River Clean Up for six years and we’re looking forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come,” Audley said.
To register for a future clean-up date or to learn about other LA River activities and events, visit www.folar.org
