June 6, 2011

Arlington Trails Cleaned Up Citywide

Armed with black trash bags, volunteers across Arlington hit the parks and trails Saturday, June 4 as part of a citywide clean-up to celebrate National Trails Day.

At the trails near Don Misenhimer Park in south Arlington, employees of Texas Power cleared brush and picked up pop bottles, paper and fast food wrappers.

“We want to be good neighbors to our city,” said David Chase, the company’s general manager, explaining why employees chose to participate. “We have always been focused on serving our community.”

The cleanup is the latest in a series of partnerships between the city and Texas Power to promote conservation, efficiency and the preservation of local resources. Earlier this year, the two launched PowerUp Arlington, an innovative pilot project that offers competitive and reliable electricity service to residents of Arlington while giving back a portion of the proceeds to support city services.

Sponsored by the City of Arlington and Keep Arlington Beautiful, Saturday’s clean-up drew scores of residents, volunteers and businesses to about a dozen parks and trails.

Since 1993, National Trails Day has inspired thousands of individuals and community groups to take part in activities that promote healthy living and mental well-being, protect green spaces, educate the community on the importance of trails and instill excitement for the outdoors. The theme for National Trails Day 2011, Made with All Natural Ingredients, encouraged all Americans to get outside and get active.

Employees of Texas Power, who brought their families to the park, 201 E. Lonesome Dove Trail, said they want to help maintain Arlington’s many walking and hiking trails. Texas Power, which employs about 55 people, makes volunteering a priority by offering employees 12 paid hours a year to participate in community service projects such as National Trails Day, said Jeana Baxley, the company’s manager of residential and commercial services.

“We’re located here. We live here. Our kids go to school here,” Baxley said. “We are very much a part of this community, and we love giving back to Arlington.”