TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The City of Tucson celebrated Earth Day with a community cleanup at the Dodge-Flower neighborhood in Midtown. The effort brought together city leaders, volunteers and neighbors working to improve public spaces.
Volunteers gathered Friday morning off Grant and Alvernon for the event. Mayor Regina Romero said the cleanup is part of the city’s Team Up to Clean Up effort and its larger Safe City initiative.
"It’s important for all of us because when we do these cleanups, it's eyes, ears, and feet on the ground, noticing inch by inch of the neighborhood where we need to invest in, where we need to not just clean up, but put additional resources in," Romero said.
Romero said the Dodge Flower neighborhood was not chosen at random. It is one of several areas the city has been focusing on as a VIVA site since 2024. VIVA sites are places that have seen higher crime and need more support.
"This particular area, we have seen gun violence come down 70%," Romero said.
Trash and illegal dumping have been ongoing concerns for neighbors like Jessica Rahier, a Dodge Flower Neighborhood Association board member.
"I'm very happy that volunteers come together and clean up here to help us, because I love living in this neighborhood and I want to live in a clean neighborhood," Rahier said.
Rahier said picking up trash can also help prevent more dumping and make the area feel safer for families.
"I want to live in a neighborhood where kids can play on the street and where people feel safe walking around and not being worried to step into dangerous trash," Rahier said.
The city also provided supplies and outreach support for those in the area who needed it most.
"It's not a one day thing. It's going to be continuous and we've done this in this area for over two years now," Mayor Romero said.
Community members interested in getting involved can look for upcoming meetings here.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
