Volunteers Needed for Community Cleanup
Columbia Gorge Motors and The Dalles beautification Committee have teamed up in efforts of organizing cleanup events within the community of The Dalles. Volunteers will have their first opportunity to join in the effort this Saturday at Thompson Park, at 10 a.m.
Before these two organizations had merged on the cleanups, a local group out of The Dalles called “The Blue Zone” organized many cleanups with the assistance of The Dalles Beautification Committee. During the Blue Zone cleanup events staff and volunteers were using their own vehicles to haul away the rubbish collected during the events, until several months ago when Rachel Carter of Columbia Gorge Motors got involved. Carter and her two children, Molly and Noah, participated in their first cleanup several months ago, which left Carter wanting to help in a much bigger way. Carter with the help of Columbia Gorge Motors, donated vehicles that were used to haul the collected rubbish to the garbage dumps. “They needed vehicles, and we have lots,” said Carter. When Blue Zones finished their last project in the spring of 2020, Carter wanted to continue to see her community in a beautiful, clean light, so she teamed up with Connie Krummrich of The Dalles Beautification Committee. When the pandemic hit, it became difficult to staff and fundraise leaving little funds for the cleanup organization to utilize, in turn, they have looked at the community for support. Carter said they will be holding the cleanup events monthly, and they are looking for organizations to “step up and join us,” she said. Organizations or groups that are interested in partnering with the cleanups for a month are encouraged to contact Carter via telephone at (208)-757-3632.
3,250 lbs of trash was collected from the last Blue Zone Cleanup
While Carter of Columbia Gorge Motors and Krummrich of The Dalles Beautification Committee is lead by the same mission of having pride in their community in which they belong, Krummrich explains. “It all starts with responsibility… and having a love and care for the environment." This stands as the true mission of the cleanups; Krummrich said she wants community members and visitors of the town to enjoy their time here, thus maintaining a clean town will increase the joy this town has to offer, while protecting the environment and local ecology from garbage contaminates. Saturday, Sept. 12th, will be the first organized cleanup event from Columbia Gorge Motors and The Dalles Beautification groups. The event will meet up at Thompson Park, in The Dalles with a meetup time of 10 a.m. Cleanup events will be happening thereafter every second Saturday of the month, weather permitting.
