COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Every Tuesday, you will find Richard Skorman and a team of volunteers with a trashbag and a litter picker as they clean up parts of Colorado Springs. On Tuesday, July 29 they focused on the Midland Trail along Fountain Creek on the westside of the city.
"Feels good, you know, you're keeping all this plastic out of the steams," Skorman said. "You don't think about that, but a lot of that water goes to other people's water systems and and we pollute it."
Skorman founded the non-profit called Richards Rubbish Roundup in 2023. Since then, he has rallied more than 800 volunteers to help.
"Everybody's so enthusiastic, it's just great," Skorman said. "You get 20 to 30 people who come. They love doing it. We all celebrate afterwards with pizza and beer."
A celebration for work that Skorman recognizes can be dangerous.
"We try to make sure everybody's careful," said Skorman. "They're in pairs. They have yellow vests, they have a whistle, they don't go in steep embankments where they can fall. We have cans for needles."
Since 2023, Skorman said volunteers with Richards Rubbish Roundup have collected more than 4,100 bags of trash and disposed of more than 1,400 needles.
Part of his mission includes providing cleanup supplies to anyone who asks for them.
"We will help them in any way they can," Skorman said. "Even if they can't do it, we'll bring volunteers out there to do it because we want everybody to be safe."
Sonja Walker said when she moved to Colorado Springs from California, she complained to Skorman about all the trash she saw.
"He told me I should stop talking about it and do something about it," Walker said.
So, Walker became the Director of Richards Rubbish Roundup.
"I'm learning a lot not only about our city, but also the unhoused individuals that live here, because a lot of them see us picking up, and they want to pick up," Walker said.
Inspiring others and making his community better, that's why Richard Skorman is the winner the News 5 Lighthouse Award.
"People here are doers and that's what this is about," Skorman said. "Let's all get out there, roll up our sleeves and show how much we love our city."
By the way, Skorman feeds volunteers afterwards at his restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs called Poor Richards.
If you would like more information about the next cleanup events or how to organize your own, call Richards Rubbish Roundup at (719)238-1161, or click here.
Remember, if you or someone you know is going above and beyond to make their community better, we want to know about it. Nominate someone for the News 5 Lighthouse Award here.
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