Beaver Lake Cleanup set for Sept. 27
Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008
ROGERS — The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced its annual Beaver Lake cleanup day for Sept. 27 to correspond with National Public Lands Day, Park Ranger Alan Bland said.
Lasting from 8 a. m. until 1: 30 p. m., the annual lake cleanup is an event that many people look forward to each year. Last year, 450 people donated a few hours on their Saturday to help clean up the lake.
There is no sign-up process to participate in the cleanup. All interested parties need to do to help is show up at War Eagle Park, Hickory Creek Park, Prairie Creek Park or Indian Creek Park on Sept. 27. From there, volunteers will receive a lunch ticket, trash bags and a free T-shirt for their participation, Bland said.
Around 11: 15 a. m., volunteers will begin traveling to the main shelter in Prairie Creek for a free lunch and musical entertainment by Slim Big Uns, a local favorite. When the band finishes playing, the Corps will begin a drawing for door prizes for those who volunteer.
“ When we start in on the amazing door prizes, that is when people really get excited because we have outstanding door prizes, ” Bland said.
On average, half of the people who volunteer will leave the lake that day with one of many door prizes, which can include wrist watches donated by Casio, digital cameras from Fuji, Shakespeare rods and reels, gift certificates from local restaurants and free hotel stays.
“ You get a chance at a great door prize, a great lunch and a free T-shirt just for giving us two to three hours of work, and everybody wins because the lake gets cleaned, ” Bland said.
Everyone who participates in the cleanup will also receive a goodie bag stuffed with a little bit of everything. Children 12 and under who help with the cleanup will also receive goodie bags of their own, as well as a chance to win door prizes from Crayola and other companies, said Wendy Craven, director of the Benton County Solid Waste Department, which partners with the Corps to clean up the lake.
“ The cleanup is an awesome benefit for the lake and for everyone’s drinking water, and it is a lot of fun to be able to give something back to those who help, ” Craven said.
This year, the Corps hopes to have even more volunteers for the cleanup and would like to see more people from Bentonville participate in the day’s activities, Bland said.
“ Because the lake has gone up farther this year, the debris has gone farther up the shoreline, so we are looking for more people to help with (the cleanup ), ” Craven said.
There will also be prizes for the person who collects the most unusual piece of trash out of the lake and for the team that collects the most trash.
One thing the Corps needs is people who are willing to drive their boats during the cleanup, escorting volunteers and hauling trash around the lake, Bland said.
Anyone interested in registering a team, bringing a boat or who may have questions about the cleanup may call Bland at 636-1210, Ext. 313.
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