Volunteers Pick Up Trash in Pre MLS Cup Cleanup

The non profit groups SOLVE Oregon says its volunteers picked up about 200 pounds of trash around Providence Park, before the MLS Cup final this weekend.  The group says 38 volunteers showed up Wednesday to get rid of litter around the Portland Timbers stadium, where the Timbers will face New York City FC  for the championship match this Saturday.

“I want to make sure this place looks great. I’ve been doing this for over a year now,” said Timbers season ticket holder Christine, one of the volunteers.

SOLVE Oregon’s Outreach Coordinator Larissa Gordon said the cleanups help boost morale.  “During our downtown Portland cleanups, we’ve had over 5,000 volunteers.  This started in September of 2020. With those 5,000 volunteers, we have picked up over 5,000 pounds of trash.”

Former Timbers player Nat Borchers now serves as the team’s community ambassador. He says hosting the MLS Cup final means a lot for the city. 

“You drive around the city, you see that there’s just a lot that needs to go into picking up. We need to come together and do that,” he said.

The next downtown SOLVE cleanup will be on December 16.