22nd annual Creek to Bay Cleanup held in Linda Vista

More than 100 volunteers showed up at the Linda Vista Recreational Center on Saturday to participate in the 22nd annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. The event was organized by I Love a Clean San Diego, a nonprofit organization that has been cleaning up communities all over San Diego County since the 1950s.

The cleanup took place during April, which is Earth Month, and just two days away from Earth Day on April 22.

"I've been doing a few cleanup here and there," said Maria Perez, one of the volunteers. Perez said she tries to attend a cleanup once every month or so.

"I feel like I'm helping out just to make our community look a little bit better, and just for me to get some fresh air," said Perez.

Mayor Todd Gloria and Assemblymember Chris Ward helped kick off the event.

"I'm glad to be amongst fellow people who do not like litter, and who understand we all have a responsibility to clean up our city and make sure it looks as good as possible," said Gloria.

The cleanup was just one of more than 100 other locations across San Diego County where cleanups took place, including the El Cajon Public Works Yard. Around 4,000 volunteers participated countywide. Saturday marked 22 years of holding the cleanup. I Love a Clean San Diego is also celebrating another milestone.

"We're actually celebrating our 70th anniversary this year, so we were founded in 1954," said Steve Morris, the Executive Director of I Love a Clean San Diego.

The organization collects more than 100,000 pounds of trash per year on average, and organizes roughly 600 community cleanups a year. The organization is steadily making progress toward its ultimate goal.

"Obviously we don't want to find trash in the environment, but we know it's there. So it's to remove as much as possible," said Morris.

On Saturday, I Love A Clean San Diego said it was able to collect about 80,000 pounds of trash across the county.