Record number of Covites participate in Don't Mess With Texas Trash-Off

By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press

On April 1, people from all over Texas helped clean up the state with Don’t Mess With Texas’s annual Trash-Off, the biggest litter pick-up day of the year.

Copperas Cove did its part Saturday with over 100 volunteers showing up to Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful’s cleanup. Volunteers showed up at Copperas Cove City Park at around 8 a.m. and worked until about 10 a.m. KCCB provided volunteers with safety vests, gloves, and trash bags. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers donated a free kids combo to participating children, Shipley Donuts donated donuts, Starbucks donated coffee, San Miguel Mexican Restaurant donated breakfast burritos, and 5 Hills CrossFit provided awards for some of the volunteers including one for the youngest volunteer, oldest volunteer, and most unusual item.

“It’s a great opportunity to get together, volunteer, pick up trash, and realize it only takes one person to make a difference and that person could be you,” said KCCB Director Roxanne Flores.

Most of the volunteers worked on cleaning up City Park and along Avenue B. More than 100 volunteers with Copperas Cove Chiefs Youth Football & Cheer attended the cleanup event and chose to clean up across the street from Walmart as you come into the city.

Gregg Bridge, the assistant athletic director for the group, said that it was important for them to help out the community.

“We just want the community to know that we are here and we’re here to support,” said Bridge. “It’s real important for the youth and to bring them out to events like these. They’re the ones who are going to be in charge later in life and we want them to see how important it is to take care of the community.”

He said that people always say that they want their kids to get out and play outside, but they can’t if there is trash everywhere, so it is especially important to help clean up the park and help make sure that it is clean and safe for the children to play.

Edith Natividad has attended most of KCCB’s events, and Saturday was no exception. Natividad said that she’s found several unusual items at some of the cleanup events.

She said that one year she found a bra which they thought was pretty funny and another year she found some false teeth.

Throughout the cleanup, Natividad helped energize participants and get others excited to be there.

“I love doing it, no matter how busy I am,” said Natividad. “You have to take time to help out the community.”

Natividad added that it’s important to do our part and help clean up, “That way our environment is clean and safe, and that way when we have visitors from other cities, they can say, ‘Oh my gosh, Copperas Cove is really beautiful!’”
 

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Cleanup