Group of volunteers bonds over cleaning up trash around Oakland's Lake Merritt
OAKLAND -- You might think Richard Shirk and his friends are crazy for giving up their Sunday morning to collect garbage.
To that, Shirk has one word: rubbish.
"It's so satisfying to do what we do. We walk down the street later. The street is clean. We go the park later, the park is clean," he said.
For the last two years, they've been meeting at Adams Point in Oakland at 9 a.m. sharp to talk trash.
It all started as a way to pass the time during the pandemic. Now, the group -- known as the Trash Falcons -- has more than 50 volunteers, many of whom show up every week.
"In the very beginning it was almost like a coping mechanism for us to have some interaction with friends in a safe way. And then we found out how enjoyable it is," Shirk said.
The Falcons start off at Perkins Street and make their way to Lake Merritt, cleaning up debris along the way.
And while it may not sound very romantic, picking up litter was the perfect pick-up line for first-time Falcon member John Shannon. He asked out Haley Frits on date and she said yes.
"It just shows that he cares about his community," Frits said.
It was a bold move that seems to have paid off, big time.
Asked whether there was a follow-up date in their future, Frits said, "I hope so."
In the last two years, the group has gone on more than 150 missions. Shirk estimates they've picked up tons of trash so far.
The final tally this particular Sunday was 130 pounds of garbage, which they dumped at a nearby garbage bin.
But the best part, Shirk said, was what happens after.
"I get home, I put the equipment away, pour a cup of coffee and know that me and my friends have really done something. And also had a blast," he said.
Anyone interested in contacting or joining the Trash Falcons in their clean-up efforts in Oakland can reach the group through their Instagram account.