Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful holds waterway cleanup

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press 

Approximately 45 volunteers showed up to clean one of the city’s waterways during the Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful spring waterway cleanup held Saturday morning behind Shipley Donuts. 
The volunteers donned neon orange vests and spread out in groups to pick up all kinds of trash from the drainage ditch that ran alongside and behind Shipley Donuts. 
“We have quite a few [volunteers] out, and they’re picking up all the trash and just trying to keep our waterways clean and healthy in the city of Copperas Cove,” said Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful Commissioner Mary Derrick.
It’s important to hold waterway cleanups to help protect the environment and the waterways especially, and to help prevent the trash from seeping anything into the water that makes it way to the city’s drinking water, Derrick said. Each year, Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful holds water way cleanups to try and tackle each of the drainage ditches and other bodies of water. 
“We’re just thankful for all the volunteers that come out,” Derrick added. “The city really supports this event. A lot of our volunteers come out as part of the Cove Fit program, and we’re always thankful to have them here.”
Volunteers ranged in ages from as young as a toddler to senior citizens. One of those frequent volunteers is Ashley Osborn. Osborn works for the city of Copperas Cove with the City Secretary and is a recently appointed Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful Commissioner. She has been volunteering with KCCB for years prior, she said. She started volunteering because of Cove Fit, which is the city’s health program for its employees. Osborn said that she enjoyed helping out and picking up trash at the KCCB events. 
“Somebody should, and nobody else is going to,” Osborn said about the importance of volunteering.
Larry Scott and Janina Scott worked together to pick up their two bags of trash along the drainage ditch next to Shipley Donuts. 
“Because it’s great to clean up and help,” Janina said. 
“It helps keep the city clean,” Larry added. 
“There’s so much trash everywhere, so it’s nice to do something good,” Janina said.
As they picked up the trash, they separated the items along the way for recyclables and trash.
Larry said that he liked the fact that KCCB offered clean up events like this water way cleanup. 
“It helps clean up the areas that need it, you know, we identify it as we see it and we clean it up,” Larry said. “This community comes together. The city workers come together with the community, and we help keep the city clean.”
Shipley Donuts sponsored this weekend’s water way cleanup, providing free donuts to the volunteers. If a business is interested in sponsoring a cleanup, they are encouraged to contact Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful at (254) 547-4221 ext. 4704.
The group’s next cleanup is the annual Don’t Mess With Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 4. ,