The Intl. WeLoveU Foundation partnered with the East Bay Regional Parks District to clean the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, CA, on May 22, 2022. A Home Depot and Costco in San Leandro, CA, supported the non-profit’s environmental efforts by making an in-kind donation of cleaning supplies.   

Starting at 10 a.m., about 100 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to clean the MLK Jr. Shoreline, which is part of a 748-acre park. In the mix of WeLoveU volunteers were two Oakland council members ready to help their backyard. District Representatives Mateo Ramirez-Mercado and Treva Reid cleaned alongside volunteers and expressed their volunteer experience.

“We really thank the WeLoveU Foundation for coming out on Sunday morning to give all of the love that you can to help keep it clean, keep it beautiful, and uplift the culture of cleanliness in our city and in our parks,” said Councilmember Treva Reid. In another instance, she said, “We really don’t have enough resources to take care of this city. WeLoveU is helping make Oakland a beautiful place for us to thrive.”

Volunteers found trash of all sizes while walking up and down the shoreline. They safely picked up glass bottles, large metal pieces, and abandoned tires. Large wooden frames, metal rods, and other debris that couldn’t fit in contractor trash bags were also collected. All of the recovered items were bagged and separated for recycling. The cleanup had concluded by the early afternoon, and volunteers took a group photo with all the trash they collected.  

The Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline cleanup was organized in honor of WeLoveU’s Clean Day, an international day encouraging volunteer service. While volunteers were cleaning in California, other cleanups were happening across America, which you can read about here.

WeLoveU’s Clean Day 2022 cleanup efforts also took place in Namibia, South Africa, Netherlands, Nepal, New Zealand, Germany, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Benin, Angola, Uganda, India, Japan, Chile, Cameroon, Cambodia, Kenya, Thailand, Togo, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, and Australia. WeLoveU hopes to spark the world to work towards a cleaner world, one cleanup at a time.