Thousands of volunteers participate in Philly spring cleaning

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thousands of volunteers spent Saturday cleaning up their neighborhoods.

Piles of dried leaves are scooped up into bags along 34th street in Strawberry Mansion under the careful supervision of junior block captain Treon Scipio.

He says, "It's good to clean up your neighborhood because you don't want your neighborhood to be smelly while you walk around and stuff."

This group is among thousands of volunteers taking part in the 10th annual Philly spring cleanup.

We asked Hasma Abdur-Rahman of Strawberry Mansion what she was doing. She said, "Opening the bag so people can put the leaves and stuff in it."

And neighbors say getting kids involved is crucial.

"I was also a junior block captain when I was younger and I always helped my mother and grandmother clean up the neighborhood. And it made me feel better because it's good to walk around to a clean neighborhood and a clean street," said Denzel Johnson of Strawberry Mansion.

Mayor Jim Kenney helped kick things off at the Hunting Park recreation center.

He said, "We're really thankful you're out here today."

Hundreds of SEPTA workers, along with family and friends, cleaned up 13 SEPTA locations throughout the city.

And then there were people like Sandra Barry of Frankford.

"Frankford Avenue is spotlessly clean!" Barry says while she's participating in the city-wide cleanup.

"We pick it up, and you come back less than 5 minutes, you wouldn't believe it's the same block that the residents just cleaned because of the wind," she said.

She's out here three to four times a week trying to keep the trash away from her block in Frankford. She hopes the city will sponsor more cleanup days like this one, and hopes her efforts will make a difference for her neighborhood.

"I'm hoping it could also bring in some nice developers who would look and see how beautiful Frankford is," said Barry.

Many residents said it was a day to cleanup, but also a chance to talk to your neighbors.

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