Milwaukee County Parks crews clean up after Lakefront fireworks



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Even though the fog put a damper on Wednesday night's U.S. Bank Fireworks display, it didn't stop hundreds of thousands of people from heading to the Lakefront to see it.

As the crowds left Veterans Park, they also left behind a lot of trash.  By sunrise, garbage bins were toppling over and debris was scattered everywhere.  200 tons of trash was left to pick up.

“We actually have a crew that comes in and works from midnight to 8 a.m.,” Guy Smith, Director of Operations at Milwaukee County Parks said.

The Parks Department is in charge of cleanup duties.  It's an overnight operation, but even through the morning, several staff members were there to pick up the pieces.

“What we do is partner with Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful.  They provide us with hundreds and hundreds of garbage bags that we hand out to everyone that comes down,” Smith said.

Even some volunteers helped clean up the park.

“It’s a nice morning, get a little bit of exercise, help clean up a little bit, and get some of the cans off the ground,” one volunteer told FOX6 News.

Trash can also become one's treasure. FOX6 found a man scouring the grounds with a metal detector, hoping to find something valuable that might have been left behind.

“Figure I might get a gold chain, a ring.  It's just a fun way to get some sun, instead of sitting in a chair, and get to move around.  You never know what you're going to find,” Dave Wojkowski said.

Whatever the reason, dozens of people were in Veterans Park early Thursday, helping keep the greens clean for the holiday.

The cleanup continues on Friday as many other 4th of July celebrations take place at other Milwaukee County Parks.