Volunteers help pick up trash at Hanscom Park after July 4th holiday [Video]

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Community members came out to Hanscom Park Saturday for the annual Star Spangled Cleanup, hosted by Keep Omaha Beautiful, Volunteer in Parks, and the Blue Bucket Project.

Volunteers scoured the park, picking up trash and leftover firework scraps which can pose a danger to our parks and our health.

“Litter, especially in cities, is such a problem not only because its unsightly but because of the environmental damage that it does,” says Pearl, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager for Keep Omaha Beautiful.

They found cups, wraps, diapers and the remnants of fireworks, which contain a variety of toxic pollutants.

“Since everyone likes to have a weekend where you shoot off fireworks, a lot of people don’t think about the aftermath which comes with pollution and our storm water as well as in our environment,” says Pearl.

A piece of literature inspired Amelia Harrington to join Saturday’s …