Tacoma residents can grab gloves and trash bags at any of 14 locations across the city on Saturday, Sept. 19, for a volunteer cleanup running from 10 a.m. to noon.

The city partnered with two community-led groups, Litter Free 253 and Oscar's Enemies, to organize the event, according to a city press release published Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Bags, gloves and litter-picking equipment will be provided at every site. No experience is needed, and all ages and abilities are welcome.

The headline location is downtown near the intersection of Commerce Street and Pacific Avenue.

City Tidy-Up Tacoma crews will focus on the surrounding area between South 24th and 25th streets, where work will go beyond litter pickup to include graffiti removal and new trash can installations.

Supplies are free.

Mayor Anders Ibsen said in the release that he wants "a clean, beautiful Tacoma" and thanked volunteers and city staff for making the event possible. Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell called keeping litter off streets and waterways "a collective responsibility."

District 1 Council Member John Hines, who helped launch the Tidy-Up Tacoma program in September 2021 as a pilot focused on 13 business districts, said he plans to attend the Sept. 19 event.

"I look forward to joining in this event, meeting volunteers, and potentially adding some new items to my 'weirdest litter picked up' list," Hines said in the release.

The pilot has since grown into a year-round initiative. KOMO News reported in June that the city's ongoing beautification work began in 2022. The Sept. 19 cleanup is part of that broader Tidy-Up Tacoma effort and reflects a growing partnership between city services and volunteer-led groups, according to the city.

District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh said in the release that she has organized cleanups herself and watched neighbors build relationships that last beyond a single event. She said volunteers often end up talking about the issues that matter most to them while picking up trash together.

Organizers are asking volunteers to sign up in advance at tacoma.gov/tidyup so they can plan supplies. The full list of all 14 site locations is also available there.