Laurel Lake Cleanup set for April 21

On Saturday, April 21 the annual Laurel Lake Cleanup will take place at the Laurel River Dam from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The beach at the dam will serve as the event staging area.
In recent years, the cleanup has drawn as many as 500 volunteers. Organizers are optimistic that even more people will turn out this year to show support for one of southeast Kentucky’s most important resources, Laurel River Lake.
“Lots of hard-working people have come together to make this annual event a success,” said Acting Ranger John Omer with the Daniel Boone National Forest, one of the sponsoring organizations. “This is a great opportunity for the public, especially lake users, to give something back to their community. We hope to see many volunteers at the event this year.”
The residents of Laurel and Whitley counties will compete for the coveted “Cleanup Cup,” which is awarded to the county with the most volunteers. Last year’s competition was won by Laurel County for the tenth year in a row. Prior to Laurel County’s winning streak, Whitley County won the cup for two consecutive years.
The lake cleanup is not all work and no play. All volunteers will receive free lunch, a T-shirt and a chance to win donated door prizes. They can also enter an item for consideration as the “Catch of the Day.” A prize goes to the volunteer who brings in the most unusual piece of trash.
Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the beach on the day of the event. Volunteers should be registered by 9:00 a.m. if possible. Boat owners are encouraged to come out and support the lake cleanup. Volunteers who do not have a boat of their own may be able to hitch a ride on one of the boats shuttling participants to the shoreline where trash is located. There will also be vans available to take volunteers to pick up trash along some of the lake’s access roads.
The Laurel Lake Cleanup is organized by the U.S. Forest Service, PRIDE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Laurel and Whitley County Governments, Friends of Laurel Lake, London-Laurel County Tourism Commission and others, including concerned citizens and businesses in the Whitley and Laurel County area. For more information, call the London Ranger District at (606) 864-4163, or visit www.kypride.org