Media Alert: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Cleanup & Community Gathering (Photo) - 01/15/26
***Media Advisory – All Media Are Invited***
What: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Cleanup, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente & Community Gathering in partnership with Mike Bennett Studios
When: Monday, January 19, from 10 am to 12 pm (Cleanup) / 11 am to 4 pm (Gathering)
Where: 700 NE Fremont, Portland, OR 97212 | Map Link
EVENT DESCRIPTION: SOLVE’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Cleanup invites community members to care for Irving Park and the historic Albina neighborhood, followed by a creative community connection hosted by Mike Bennett Studios. From 10 am to 12 pm, volunteers of all ages will come together to remove litter and recyclables from Irving Park and nearby streets, helping keep this historic neighborhood welcoming while preventing waste from entering our waterways.
Following the cleanup, participants and neighbors are invited to cross the street to Mike Bennett Studios for a family-friendly community gathering celebrating service, creativity, and connection, including SOLVE-themed coloring sheets, warm drinks, snacks, along with an exclusive sneak peek of the first unreleased episode of the Zooquarium Podcast and Q&A with Mike Bennett and co-host Chanel Hason.
WHY: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recognized as a National Day of Service, is a community-driven initiative paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s enduring legacy. It encourages all Americans to volunteer and contribute to making a positive change in their communities. Each year, SOLVE marks this day by hosting volunteer projects that honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy as well as bringing the community together.
SOLVE’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 is presented by Kaiser Permanente and supported by Swire Coca Cola, National Recreation and Park Association, Love Your Happy Place, and Portland Parks & Recreation as part of SOLVE’s broader effort to support community-led service projects across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
MEDIA CREWS: Arrive by 9:45 am under the covered basketball courts on the corner of NE Fremont and NE 7th to see approximately 300 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. Volunteers expected to pick up trash and recyclables along NE MLK Jr Blvd and the adjacent neighborhoods.
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
- Mike Bennett, Portland-based cartoonist & owner of Mike Bennett Studios
Visit solveoregon.org/mlk 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 SOLVE on Instagram at @SOLVEinOregon, Facebook at @SOLVEOregon, or at www.solveoregon.org.
