The Hash House Harriers are one of the largest global groups on the planet. With over 5000 active kennels or groups, there are not many other (dis)organizations that can rival our numbers. While we have no official leadership and each kennel can do basically whatever the hell they want, we do kind of have a mutual goal of preserving the nature that is so vital to what it is that we do.
Hashers not Trashers is a group comprised mostly of Hash House Harrier members, but often others will come and participate in the cleanups that we do as well.
We get updates from the global Facebook page about certain cleanups and it is nice to see. This one had a pretty great turnout for the Atlanta, Georgia area, which is somewhere that I lived in many years ago. While I do not know the people in these pictures nor was I a Hash member back when I lived there, I am happy to see that these sorts of activities take place.
Here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, no Hash event, including a cleanup one, would be complete without ice-cold beer. I do not know if that is what they are doing in this pic, but seeing as how they are in the United States there might be laws stating that they are not allowed to drink in parks. I do not know as it has been ages since I lived there.
Just kidding. The very next photo put that to rest. They had beers but I am sure they were all a lot more sensible with it than we are here in the Land of Smiles.
I do find it a bit disappointing that the cleanup efforts are necessary at what appears to be a public park because isn't that what taxes are supposed to be used for?
Hash House Harriers members around the world make it a part of their daily lives to clean up as much as they can as often as they can and events like the Hashers not Trashers get-togethers make this a much more fun activity to do. I am certain that the grounds were absolutely pristine by the time they were finished. Here in Chiang Mai, it is an uphill battle because the parks and what not tend to not provide bins or trash cans for the people to actually use so that is one thing that USA has over Thailand. At least where they are if they put a bunch of trash bags next to a bin someone is going to come by and actually pick them up. Here in Chiang Mai and probably most of Thailand, those bags would just sit there until the plastic wore down on the bags and the wind would re-deposit the trash back in the forest/jungle.
I tip my Hash Hat to the people of Atlanta, Georgia though, you are doing the good Hash lord's work!
ON ON!
