CLEARLAKE, Calif. – You wouldn’t think that picking up your neighbor’s trash would draw you closer, but officials say six years of seeing it in action has proved that dirt can be the tie that binds.

More than 150 volunteers came out in the beautiful weather to pick up trash, clean signs, paint, pull weeds and sweep walkways on Saturday, April 27, as part of the annual Clearlake Clean Up Day.

“It really opens people’s eyes and educates them about how much litter is out there,” said one volunteer. “You’d be surprised what people leave behind.”

Kathy Thornburn-Wilson, program founder six years ago, said that after people clean an area, they begin to take personal ownership in it.

“It’s a great way to involve youth and kids in the community, to give back to the community as a family,” said Gary Logoteta, pastor at Crossroads Church. “People want to help, this event brings people together.”

That’s the reason so many volunteers do so much, city officials said – because it’s given them a way to make a difference in our community.

The hot dogs help, too.

After the work is done, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Clearlake barbecued from noon to 1 p.m. at Austin Park with food and drinks donated by local businesses.

The Mormon Church’s Helping Hands event coincided with this year’s spring cleanup in Clearlake bringing the two groups together.

Julie Price of C&S Waste said the volunteer spirit in Clearlake is alive and well. C&S Waste has been a partner in this event since the beginning. Bruce McCracken of C&S Waste said that his crew took an amazing amount of garbage and recyclables this year.

Tamara Richmond of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce passed out fabric grocery totes sponsored by members of the chamber.

“We’re looking forward to the time where we do not see plastic bags in our trees and bushes,” she said, noting that the canvas totes are more environmentally safe.  
 
The county of Lake’s quagga mussel program had members at the event sharing information on the repercussions of quagga mussels if our waterways were to get infested.
 
“Thank you, to all the people who helped put this event together this year,” said Clearlake Public Works Director Douglas Herren. “It takes a lot of time and resources to put this event on and it could not be done without a single one of them.”

He expressed his gratitude to all the businesses that donated food and drinks and the volunteers who helped give the city its annual spring face lift.

The next event will be the Coastal Clean Up, which includes cleaning up our shoreline on the lower arm of the lake in September.