Volunteers across Chicago roll up sleeves for Earth Day weekend neighborhood, park cleanups

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Across Chicago neighborhoods are coming together and making the city a cleaner place ahead of Earth Day.

"This is a place we all call home and there must be shared responsibility to nurture and to care for it. A shared responsibility," said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

The mayor helped lead a trash pickup on the South Side near 71st and Cottage Grove as part of the city's annual "Clean and Green" event.

Crowds of people used trash bags tongs and shovels to clear trash off roadways and sidewalks.

"Each of you matter. Our children matter, our elders matter, but you matter," 6th Ward Alderman William Hall said. "When you keep them clean it runs away crime because it shows that people matter, people care."

In Jackson Park, scores of volunteers with the Obama Foundation collected trash and even laid down fresh mulch on some of the park's paths.

"Well, it's Earth Day. We live on Earth and we should come out and clean and make this place better," said volunteer Jiawen Yan.

Men from a youth mentoring organization called Mr. Dad's Father's Club also showing out to make this gorgeous park even better.

"We want to bring the urgency to folks to let them know our communities deserve to be clean. We need cleaner communities and the only way we can do this is by coming together," said volunteer Joseph Williams.