Hayward Celebrates Earth Day

On April 22, Mayor Mark Salinas and the City Council kicked off Hayward’s annual celebration of Earth Day by recognizing twenty local students and their teachers as the winners of the 2025 Earth Day Poster & Writing Contest. This year, students representing Hayward schools submitted more than 620 entries. The winners were selected by the Hayward Arts Council based on originality, clarity, and creative expression of the theme. The awards ceremony was followed by a reception for the winners and their families and winning entries are currently displayed on the first floor of Hayward City Hall.  

Later in the week, the City hosted its annual Litter Clean-Up Day and Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 26.  The event is hosted in partnership with the Clean & Green Commission and this year more than 200 volunteers either picked up litter from Weekes Park and surrounding neighborhoods, or ran an Earth Day-themed community fair. Each year, school groups, families, City Council Members, and City staff gather to collect litter from City streets and parks.  

The Community fair in 2025 featured more than two dozen sustainability-oriented organizations focused on topics such as water conservation, energy efficiency, recycling, and composting, and more.  Some participants included Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, Waste Management of Alameda County, Tri-CED, Downtown Streets Team, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the City of Hayward Environmental Services and Transportation Divisions. Volunteers were treated to music by DJ Antony and a free taco lunch provided by El Taquito.