Third annual Garbage Olympics helps neighborhoods shine

Yahoo

07-06-2025

Alyssa Espinoza of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania had three words of advice for West Side teams participating in the third annual Garbage Olympics Saturday.
'Follow that trash!'
In the Pine Brook section of the city, Roger Young, Director of Community Revitalization for United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, also offered words of encouragement to event participants.
And, although both teams — West Scranton and Pine Brook — were in it to win it, a spirit of cooperation in an effort to clean up the city prevailed.
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Roger Young, Director of Community RevitalizationUnited Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, takes time to equip participants for the 'Garbage Olympics' in the Pine Brook area of Scranton Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
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Team Pine Brook took on Team West Side in the 3rd annual Garbage Olympics on the final day of Scranton City Pride projects. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
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Teddy Michel of NeighborWorks picking up trash in West Scranton Saturday as part of a community effort entitled 'Garbage Olympics.' (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
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Roger Young, Director of Community RevitalizationUnited Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, takes time to equip participants for the 'Garbage Olympics' in the Pine Brook area of Scranton Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
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Group leaders from both teams equipped participants with safety vests, garbage bags, litter pickers and a bit of advice.
For example, Espinoza encouraged participants to travel in teams if possible and reminded them to avoid picking up needles.
And, although the ultimate winner of the competition was the team that simply picked up the most trash, the West Scranton team also had some additional incentives to pick up the most trash possible and to have fun with it.
West Side team members had a chance to win a prize for the most unusual piece of trash collected and for being the most valuable player.
The team also played 'trash bingo' with a space for items such as books or a fast food bags.
True community effort
The event concluded Scranton City Pride, a series of citywide beautification and environmental stewardship projects over the course of about two weeks.
The great benefit of such a cleanup was that everyone can participate, Young said.
For example, an older woman with limited mobility let him know she would be cleaning up in front of her house and the lot next door.
Families with young children were also welcome to participate, he said.
Chrissy Manuel, Director of Development and Communications at United Neighborhood Centers, said the event gets people involved and helps people get to know their neighbors.
It was NeighborWorks board member Teddy Michel's first time coming out to the annual cleanup and he was impressed.
'It's a little piece of restoration and a great community event,' he said.
Michel said not only did the cleanup brighten neighborhoods, it was also good for the environment, keeping trash first out of the water system and ultimately out of the river.
Scranton City Pride is a joint project of Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, and United Neighborhood Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC). It is a 'Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful' program.