Eighty-two volunteers from the International WeLoveU Foundation in Washington State conducted a street cleanup campaign near SeaTac City Hall on Sunday, July 30, 2023. SeaTac is a small city in south Seattle. It surrounds Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a critical gateway for travelers around the world. Volunteers traveled between 40 and 50 miles — from Everett, WA, to Olympia, WA — to join forces with volunteers in SeaTac. The group identified Military Road as an area in need of support.

An Encouraging Event

The volunteers gathered at SeaTac City Hall at 10 a.m., where they received gloves, trash pickers, and garbage bags and were divided into four groups. As they worked to remove small and large debris from the street, the volunteers were treated to encouraging words from residents. Community members came out of their homes to thank the volunteers, and others cheered them on while driving. 

“Everybody loved it,” said volunteer Joshua Uamanon. “We had several people reach out, ask us what we were doing, and just thank us for everything we were doing. They were just excited to see us out here making a change.” Among the cleanup attendees was King County Outreach Director Megan Utemei, from the office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

After diligently cleaning for over two hours, the teams returned to SeaTac City Hall to dispose of the collected trash. They removed 300 pounds of debris, including 48 garbage bags, two tires, and a sofa. The volunteers were thankful to make such an impact.

“It was a great experience,” said a first-time volunteer from Everett. “I got to meet a lot of great people and, at the same time, clean up the area. We had a great experience with some of the people in the houses thanking us.” The WeLoveU volunteers intend to continue partnering with local and state officials like these, to spread love to communities in need throughout the Greater Seattle area and across the State of Washington.