SOLVE Invites Portlanders To Celebrate Summer At The 10th Annual Pick It Up, Portland! (Photo) - 07/27/26

• Citywide cleanup at five locations across Portland
• Launching Love PDX℠ to inspire year-round community pride

Portland, Ore., July 27, 2026 – As Portlanders make the most of summer, SOLVE is inviting the community to celebrate the season by helping keep the city clean during the 10th annual Pick It Up, Portland! on Thursday, August 6, from 10 am to noon.

Volunteers will come together at five cleanup locations across the city to remove litter from parks, riverfronts, business districts, and neighborhood streets, creating cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming public spaces for everyone to enjoy. Whether joining as an individual, with family and friends, or as part of a workplace team, participants will make a visible difference while spending a summer morning giving back to Portland.

"Ten years ago, Pick It Up, Portland! started with a simple idea: bring neighbors together to care for the city we all share," said Kris Carico, CEO of SOLVE. "Today, that spirit is stronger than ever. Every volunteer helps create cleaner neighborhoods, healthier communities, and a Portland we can all take pride in."

Volunteers can choose from five cleanup events across Portland and register here:

• Southeast Portland / Central Eastside, presented by Subaru of Portland
• Cathedral Park, North Portland
• Holladay Park, Northeast Portland presented by Pacific Power
• Downtown Portland, presented by AAA
• Sellwood Riverfront Park, Southeast Portland

Cleanup supplies including litter grabbers, gloves, safety vests, and bags will be provided. Volunteers can also enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the morning, and each cleanup location will host a raffle featuring a prize basket filled with goodies from local artisans.

During Pick It Up, Portland!, SOLVE will also launch Love PDX℠, a campaign that encourages Portlanders to care for the places they love through community and environmental action. Love PDX℠ is part of Keep America Beautiful's Love Your Happy Place℠ national campaign, inspiring people to take pride in their communities through recycling education, community cleanups, and shared stewardship of local spaces. The campaign is supported through a community grant funded by Niagara Cares.

Pick It Up! is SOLVE's regional cleanup initiative that brings residents, businesses, and community organizations together to care for shared public spaces, city by city. What began in Portland has grown into a regional movement, with events now taking place in Vancouver, Milwaukie, Salem, Bend, and Medford.

Pick It Up, Portland! is made possible through the generous support of Subaru of Portland, alongside AAA, the City of Portland, Fred Meyer, Kaiser Permanente, Metro, Pacific Power, Plaid Pantry, and KOIN 6.

Visit the Pick It Up, Portland! event site and register for the event locations.

About SOLVE 

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.   

Pick It Up! Series Expands To Salem: Volunteers Invited To Inaugural Community Cleanup At Cascades Gateway Park On July 17 (Photo) - 07/08/26

Portland, Ore., July 8, 2026 – SOLVE is bringing its Pick It Up! community cleanup series to Salem for the first time and invites volunteers to join the inaugural Pick It Up, Salem! event on Friday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cascades Gateway Park.

Volunteers will meet near Walter Wirth Lake before heading out in teams to remove litter throughout the park and surrounding areas, helping keep one of Salem's popular community spaces clean and welcoming for everyone.

Cleanup supplies, including litter grabbers, gloves, safety vests, and bags, will be provided. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Pick It Up! is SOLVE's regional cleanup initiative that brings residents, businesses, and community organizations together to care for shared public spaces city by city. The program has already expanded from Portland and Vancouver to communities in Milwaukie, Bend, and Medford, with Salem becoming the newest city to join the effort.

Pick It Up, Salem! is made possible through the generous support of Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, Lithia & Driveway, and Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc.

Visit the Pick It Up, Salem! event site or registration page for more information.

About SOLVE 

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.    

Media Alert: Detrash Portland – Celebrating Pride At Darcelle XV Plaza (Photo) - 07/08/26

***Media Advisory – All Media Are Invited***

What: Detrash Portland

When: Thursday, July 9, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Where: SW Park Avenue and Washington Street, Portland, OR 97205 | Map Link

Event Description: In celebration of Portland Pride and the newly re-opened Darcelle XV Plaza, SOLVE is hosting a litter cleanup aimed to beautify our neighborhoods and celebrate Portland Pride in the heart of downtown. Darcelle XV Plaza is one of the first parks in the nation named in honor of a drag queen, celebrating the legacy of this legendary performer and Portland’s deep commitment to inclusion and self-expression. Let's show our pride by taking care of our community and spreading love for both people and the planet. 

Media Crews: Arrive by 9:45 am at Darcelle XV Plaza to see approximately 100 volunteers of all ages checking in, collecting their cleanup supplies, receiving a safety speech and event overview, and then heading out in groups to pick up litter in the surrounding area. The event will run from 10 am to 12 pm, with volunteers expected to spread throughout Downtown Portland.

This event will have plenty of visuals of volunteers picking up litter, making for great community packages, VOs, and VOSOTS.

Available interviewees: 

• Kris Carico, Chief Executive Officer, SOLVE

Detrash Portland 2026 is presented by The Standard, Fred Meyer, CareOregon, Miller Nash, PepsiCo, Dunn Carney, and The Zidell Companies.

Visit the Detrash Portland page on the SOLVE website or the event registration page for more information.

*******

About SOLVE:

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. You can follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or at www.solve.org.