Mayor Jeff Williams has been working for almost four years to make a measurable impact on the quality of life for Arlington, Texas residents. One of Williams’ priorities, when he took office, was to ensure that city amenities and public spaces reflected cleanliness, promoting a standard that he campaigned on—and has since delivered.

With the help of local churches and public organizations, the Restoration Challenge was launched on social media at the start of this calendar year to focus on cleaning up specific city sites. Fish Creek in southwest Arlington became the rallying point for the city’s efforts after years of garbage buildup, and in the dead of winter, the Mayor announced a new effort to make a difference for the community and for the environment.

Local resident Angel Carter, backed by Mayor Williams, sought to leverage local Arlington news sources and social media to do something more than build up local political debates. The call was made to residents to volunteer in the Restoration Challenge’s call to clean up Fish Creek.

Garbage accumulation had become more than an eye sore on the creek banks. It was threatening the “river’s living world,” which in turn would threaten the health of residents if action wasn’t taken.

The call for volunteers to clean up Fish Creek was launched on social media to all Arlington residents to come out on a Saturday in early February to target a four-mile stretch of the creek between Matlock Road and Highway 360.

And the call worked—residents from neighboring communities joined the effort, and the city replied by providing bags and gloves for all volunteers.

Students from the University of Texas at Arlington are hosting a cleanup of the trail for the Big Event, a day of community service and outreach for students, faculty, and staff, April 6 from 9 am to 1 pm. This will be open for community members and students alike to continue the vision of a cleanly city. You can RSVP here.

After seeing the tremendous response, the community is planning more clean-up events in the future. Stay tuned for more Restoration Challenges around Arlington, especially as spring begins next week.