JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
After the thick fog lifted from over the Salado Creek Park area on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 18, more than 400 eager volunteers took to the banks and the waterways to clean out tons of accumulated debris and trash from the length of creek that runs through the installation during the 2017 edition of the annual Basura Bash.
The Basura Bash is a one-day, all-volunteer event to clean the San Antonio Watershed. The JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Basura Bash is a part of a larger effort throughout San Antonio where local residents, community groups and organizations collect trash at 20 different locations connected to San Antonio’s watershed.
"Each of you are making a difference in your community today," said Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander. It really matters that each one of you got up and got out here on a Saturday morning to make your community a better place. Even one piece of litter out of the water makes a difference"
A steady flow of volunteers came and went from the park area throughout the morning, each determined to be a part of something bigger than themselves and make a difference in the appearance of the creek and park areas. Entire families made a morning of the event. The military was well represented with hundreds of Soldiers -- including approximately 150 combat medic trainees -- Sailors and Airmen working throughout the morning to clear out a year's worth of accumulated debris.
"I firmly believe in what we do here at the Basura Bash," said retired Army Col. Mary Garr, a former 502nd Mission Support Group commander at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and a veteran of every Basura Bash held so far. "What we do here is just one small, but important, part of what is going at all the Basura Bash events throughout San Antonio to help clear our waterways of garbage and debris."