Volunteer group remove more than 22kg of chewing gum from seats of Red Rocks Amphitheatre

A group of volunteers have removed a mind-boggling 22kg of chewing gum from underneath the seats of Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The endeavour was led by the non-profit organisation Friends of Red Rocks, who said that they undertook the task in order to “preserve the magic” of the venue.

Chewing gum is technically banned at Red Rocks, alongside other items such as umbrellas, bullhorns and alcohol, but it evidently has not stopped people from bringing it onto the site and disposing of it under their seats.

“Gum is not even permitted inside the amphitheatre, but how do you prevent that? People have it in their purses, in their pockets,” said Pia Valeriana, one of the volunteers, to FOX31.

“It’s disrespectful of this natural wonder we want to preserve in its most pristine way,” she continued. “We just want people to be aware, and don’t take this place for granted. This is a unique place.”

In addition to the gum, Friends of Red Rocks have also removed 186kg of rubbish and 92kg of recycling from the venue in the last 12 months.

The open-air venue is located near Morrison, Colorado, which is roughly 10 miles southwest of Denver. It has a seating capacity of close to 10,000 people, and this year it is set to host concerts by artists including Jungle, Sleep Token, Wiz Khalifa and Ice Cube.

At a Louis Tomlinson gig at the venue last June, over 90 fans were injured and seven were hospitalised after a severe “tennis ball-sized” hail storm forced the show to be postponed. Injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to broken bones.

Other recent shows at the venue have included a performance by The Strokes that featured a guest appearance from Weyes Blood and a marathon five-hour DJ set from Skrillex.

In 2021, the staff at Red Rocks were offering free COVID-19 vaccinations to concertgoers, in partnership with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

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