Litter Letter Project
In celebration of Arts Month 2022, the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control & Greenway District, Creek Week, and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region have joined forces once again to orchestrate the 5th annual Pikes Peak Litter Letter Project. Each year, our local Litter Letter Project produces a unique piece of sculptural art that is constructed with trash collected from public lands and waterways during Creek Week. Modeled after the national Litter Letter Project, and with permission to use their logo and concept, our local Litter Letter Project is a fun and inspiring annual event that signals the official start of Arts Month. It’s also a wonderful cross-sector collaboration between the Arts, Outdoor Recreation, and Environmental sectors that benefits the entire region!
The community is invited to participate in several clean-up sessions throughout our local trails and lands during National Public Lands Day (Sept. 24) and in coordination with our local Creek Week cleanups (Sept. 24 – Oct. 2). Participants will gather litter at several designated sites and then fill giant letters made from recycled metal that spell a different word each year. Our past words have been INSPIRE (2018), PRISTINE (2019), RESILIENT (2020), and RESPECT (2021). This year’s word is: PRICELESS.
A special thanks to the following organizations that have “adopted” a litter letter to fill with the help of their Creek Week Cleanup Crew:
- (P) Up a Downa
- (R) Red Leg Brewing Company
- (I) Mile High Youth Corps
- (C) Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood Association
- (E) Anglers Covey
- (L) Red Leg Brewing Company
- (E) Leave No Trace
- (S) Ft. Carson Girl Scout Service Unit 417
- (S) Girl Scout Service Units 406 & 412
For more information about forming a Cleanup Crew next year, please email creekweeksoco@gmail.com.
The litter letters, constructed by local nonprofit Concrete Couch, will be on display throughout the month of October in celebration of Arts Month. Well-sited on a berm, just off Cimarron Street, east of I-25 and south of America the Beautiful Park, the art piece is also visible from the adjacent trail.
On Friday, September 30 at 4:30PM, there will be a dedication ceremony for the 2022 Litter Letter art piece. The dedication event is free and open to the public, and will feature brief remarks by project partners. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided, as well as live musical entertainment by Ryan Flores from 4:30-5:30PM (courtesy of the Curbside Culture program). Please DOWNLOAD THE AREA MAP for parking directions.
Throughout the month of October, the local community is also invited to support our Litter Letter Project though a special social media campaign on Instagram, by using the hashtag #PikesPeakLitterLetters to tell us why you think our public lands and waterways are PRICELESS?
Media inquiries and questions about the project should be directed to Andy Vick at andy@CulturalOffice.org.
2022 Pikes Peak Litter Letter Project Partners:
- Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
- Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control & Greenway District
- Creek Week Volunteers
- Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
- Concrete Couch
- Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services
- Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise
- 3 Peaks Photography
- Infinite Disposal
- Norwood Development Group
