Local hospital workers roll up sleeves for James River cleanup on Earth Day

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- On Earth Day, the spirit of environmental action was alive and well along the banks of the James River.

On Tuesday, April 22, more than 60 hospital workers from HCA Virginia traded their usual scrubs for trash bags and joined forces with Friends of the James River for a hands-on cleanup effort at Ancarrow's Landing.

The initiative was part of HCA Virginia's "We Show Up Service Month," an annual effort coinciding with National Volunteer Month that encourages employees to give back to their community.

"We've actually challenged our colleagues to do over 1,000 donation hours of just their time and getting involved with the communities and this is a big step towards that," said Devin Tobin, Henrico Doctors' Hospital's Chief Operating Officer.

HCA Hospital workers pictured on Ancarrow's Landing before the cleanup began. (Photo: 8News)

Stephanie Bara, an employee at Chippenham Hospital, spent Tuesday picking up trash with her friends.

"We're seeing lots of fishing line and bottle caps and cigarette butts," Bara said. "It's a beautiful day to get out of the office and help clean up our community."

The volunteers focused their efforts on Ancarrow's Landing, a former industrial site that has become a popular fishing spot within the James River Park system.

"It's kind of a forgotten-about area of the park system, so it collects a lot of trash from fishermen -- from people who come down here to abandon stuff," said Joshua Stutz, executive director of Friends of the James River Park.

After nearly two hours of dedicated work, the volunteers managed to fill more than 20 trash bags with debris.

"They [HCA Virginia] always bring one of the biggest groups out and help us get a lot of work done around Earth Day every year," Stutz said.

Tobin highlighted the sense of community the event provided.

"It's so incredible what we do inside the building every day, changing the lives of our patients," Tobin said. "But, today, we get the camaraderie of being together and doing it as a community."

As warmer months approach and more people flock to the James River, the importance of keeping it clean becomes even more critical.

Stutz also offered a reminder to those planning to enjoy the river in the coming weeks, asking them to "stay safe and know their limits and keep an eye on those water levels."