Ravens Help Tackle City's Trash Problem
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- They might be huge fans of the color purple, but members of the Ravens organization are hitting the streets to help Baltimore go green.
As part of the team's GamePlanEarth initiative, staff members are working with the community to clean up the city and encourage recycling and sustainability efforts.
WJZ's Ron Matz caught up with the Ravens in Patterson Park, which has been littered by leftover trash and debris from recent flooding from heavy rain. They were picking up trash and painting storm drains.
"Through our efforts we hope to continue to educate our fans on how to re-use, recycle and conserve energy," said Emily Scerba, the team's community relations manager.
But they're looking at the bigger picture too.
The Ravens have partnered with the city's Waterfront Partnership Healthy Harbor programs -- the same people behind Mr. Trash Wheel -- to educate the community and promote a green mindset.
"We're painting some storm drains with Healthy Harbor messages to raise awareness and tell people their trash goes into the harbor and it all connects to the water," said Carmera Thomas, program manager for the Waterfront Partnership Health Harbor Initiative. "We're cleaning up the trash to beautify the park."
Kalil Holland, 13, came by to pitch in. "I'm helping out the community so it can be a better place in the world," he said.
The Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor Initiative hopes to make Baltimore's harbor swimmable and fishable by the year 2020.
At Saturday nights' pre-season game, the Ravens will continue their GamePlanEarth program by handing out recyclable trash bags to fans in tailgate lots A, B and C.
