Earth Day Trash Bash

Operation Downtown, Des Moines Parks and Recreation and Riverfront Development Authority honored Earth Day with the Earth Day Trash Bash – a clean up event to give downtown a fresh start to the spring season on Tuesday, April 22  in downtown Des Moines.

The Earth Day Trash Bash was a smashing success.  From I-235 to Gray’s Lake and from MLK to East 5th, approximately 120 square blocks downtown and all of the surrounding trails.  And the result of 430 volunteers working together?  More than 7 full dumpsters of trash and a sparkling downtown!

One person’s trash became another person’s treasure as Mayor Cownie presented the “Finders Keepers” award for the strangest piece of trash found to the Science Center of Iowa team for a strange, tiny purse they discovered.  Students from the Downtown School found three dead animals – all in a single city block. 

The “Corporate Greenie” award went to Wells Fargo  for demonstrating environmental stewardship as a company.  And the “Best Group Effort” award went to Innova Ideas & Services with a team of 20 volunteers out of a total of 33 employees.

A special thank you to Earth Day Trash Bash sponsors:

Starbucks Coffee Company
Keep Iowa Beautiful
Metro Waste Authority
MidAmerican Energy
Nationwide
Wells Fargo Financial
Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Company
Des Moines Parks and Recreation
Operation Downtown

And to the companies and organizations who volunteered! Thank you for all of your hard work and making Downtown so beautiful. 

City of Des Moines
Court District Business Association
Downtown School
Downtown Community Alliance
Downtown Events Group
Drake University
Fallon for Congress
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau
ING
Innova Ideas & Services
Iowa Events Center
Men's Garden Club of Des Moines
Merchants Bonding Company
Meredith Corporation
Nationwide
Metro Waste Authority
Orchestrate Hospitality - Centro, Gateway, Hotel Fort Des Moines, Raccoon River Brewing Co.
Principal Financial Group
Promise IT
Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Science Center of Iowa
Starbucks Coffee Company
Terrus Real Estate Group
Wells Fargo Financial, Inc.