Media Alert: Pick It Up, Portland! August 12 (Photo) - 08/11/26

What: Pick It Up, Portland!, presented by Subaru of Portland

When: Wednesday, August 12, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Where: 107 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214 | Map Link

Event Description: Join SOLVE and community volunteers for the 10th annual Pick It Up, Portland! on Thursday, August 6, presented by Subaru of Portland. As part of this citywide cleanup, volunteers will gather at Subaru’s Southeast location before heading into the surrounding neighborhood to remove litter and help create cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming public spaces. Cleanup supplies will be provided, and participants will enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks, along with a raffle featuring prizes from local artisans.

Why: This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pick It Up, Portland!, a SOLVE tradition that brings Portlanders together to celebrate community and care for the places they love. Over the past decade, thousands of volunteers have helped transform neighborhoods through this citywide cleanup event. During the August 6 cleanups, SOLVE will also launch Love PDX℠, a new campaign inspiring year-round community pride and action through recycling education, community cleanups, and caring for shared public spaces. The launch will be amplified through a transit advertising campaign on the back of TriMet buses across Portland.

Media Crews: Please arrive by 9:45 am at the Subaru of Portland parking lot to capture approximately 40 volunteers of all ages checking in, collecting cleanup supplies, receiving a safety briefing, and heading out in groups to clean the surrounding neighborhood. Volunteers will be active throughout the Central Eastside from 10 am to noon, providing strong visuals for community news coverage, including volunteers collecting litter, interacting with one another, and helping improve the neighborhood.

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
• Zac Caverhill, General Manager, Subaru of Portland
   

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 10 years ago, has grown into a regional movement, with events now taking place in Vancouver, Milwaukie, Salem, Bend, and Medford.

Pick It Up, Portland! is presented by Subaru of Portland, and supported by AAA Oregon/Idaho, City of Portland, Fred Meyer, Kaiser Permanente, Metro, Pacific Power, Plaid Pantry, and KOIN 6.

Visit the Pick It Up, Portland! page on the SOLVE website or the event registration page for more information.

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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. 

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.