Shine L.A. United Hundreds of People in East Hollywood
The morning was cold, with a gentle breeze and light rain falling as volunteers arrived and checked in for the major cleanup day, a project organized by the mayor’s office. Hollywood was chosen as one of the 16 locations to launch Shine LA with a community celebration. Canopies were set up, and tables filled with snacks, coffee, and pastries were available for the volunteers to enjoy before their project assignments. Regardless of the weather conditions—and as the popular saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”—the volunteers remained undeterred by the elements and warmly welcomed L.A. City Mayor Karen Bass. A gentle, steady drizzle began to fall from the skies of Los Angeles as the Mayor addressed the volunteers at the event.
“Shine L.A.,” a cleanup and beautification project initiated by the mayor’s office, will unite thousands of Angelenos to volunteer in a series of cleanup events planned monthly throughout the year in preparation for the World Cup 2026 and the Olympics in 2028. “We want people not just to see our stadiums; we want them to see the real L.A., our neighborhoods,” said the mayor in her City Address. “We want our city to be at its best, so I am calling on all Angelinos to come together to prepare our city to welcome the world,” she said.
The mayor said the launch of Shine LA is an opportunity for Angelinos to express their LA spirit and unite, enhance, and beautify their communities and parks by planting trees, painting murals, and gardening.
“Juntos podemos lograr mucho, recoger la basura y limpiar nuestra ciudad,” (“Together we can accomplish more, to pick up the trash and keep our city clean.”) said Karina Godoy in Spanish, who came from the Pico-Union neighborhood with her team.
“This is what community looks like—neighbors coming together to care for one another and make our neighborhoods shine, one block at a time,” said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, Council District 13. “Huge thanks to Mayor Bass for bringing thousands of Angelenos together to build a cleaner, stronger Los Angeles.”
