Volunteers wanted to help clean up an El Paso landmark

A group of volunteers is part of a community effort to help keep an El Paso landmark clean.

On Saturday, dozens are expected to meet at Transmountain Road and pick up trash in the surrounding areas.

Erica Rocha is one of the organizers and told ABC-7 they hope to tackle a large area that includes Transmountain Rd. from Interstate 10 to U.S. Highway 54.

Rocha said the cleanup event is open to the entire community, especially to those who hike, bike, run and drive Transmountain Rd.

The ten-mile stretch cuts through the Franklin Mountains State Park and is home to desert wildlife.

“It really is the gem of our city,” Rocha said.

Rocha said the cleanup effort comes after concerned residents noticed a lot of trash in the areas.

“This is more than cleaning up trash, we want raise awareness. Hopefully with that awareness, people start to reduce the amount of trash that we produce,” Rocha said.

Rocha said it shoule be the community’s priority to help preserve the city’s landmarks.

“It’s really important because I love our city and through this I really realize that the environment is very important. The mountain is home to wildlife, the mountain is home to vegetation and we need to take care of it.”

Rocha said organizations like Adopt-A-Highway and the Franklin Mountains State Park will also be in attendance.

Volunteers who want to participate are asked to meet at the top of Transmountain Rd., in the areas also known as Smuggler’s Pass.

The cleanup event is from 8:00 a..m. to noon.