Volunteers Come Together for Clean-Up at Lake Murray
On a chilly Saturday morning in Lexington County, South Carolina, nearly 200 passionate volunteers from 30 different organizations ventured out to give Lake Murray a much-needed spruce-up. This was part of the Sixth Annual Keep the Midlands Beautiful Lake and River Sweep, an event that brings together community members to help protect their local environment.
Even though the skies were gloomy and drizzled with rain, enthusiasm was high among the participants. Teams spread across four locations, armed with garbage bags and determination to make a difference. “You put things down a storm drain at the bottom of your driveway, and it’s going into all of our waterways,” shared Traude Sander, the executive director of Keep the Midlands Beautiful, reminding everyone why such efforts are so crucial.
Family Togetherness in Cleaning Efforts
Among those volunteers were Ray Heath and his granddaughter Emily McCook, who were clearly enjoying their time together at Susie Ebert Island. “It’s obvious that this is important for the community, and I really wish more people would come out,” said Heath. His granddaughter chimed in, “Most of the islands are always really, really trashy, and we just got to help and clean up.” Their touching intergenerational bonding moment was amplified by their commitment to improving their surroundings.
Another family, the Settlemyers, also took to the challenge of tidying up the lakeshore. Mother Lindsay Settlemyer expressed, “It feels good to give back where we live.” Her daughter Adriana added with a smile, “It was a lot of trash, but we did it!” The camaraderie of these families highlighted how community service can easily become an opportunity for growth and bonding among loved ones.
Making a Difference, One Piece of Litter at a Time
This event exemplified the true spirit of community, and according to Keep the Midlands Beautiful, such initiatives are not in vain; they’ve noted that littering has decreased over the years as awareness spreads. “If everyone would just take their litter home with them, we wouldn’t have to have large-scale events like this,” Sander urged, calling for more individual responsibility when it comes to waste management.
In 2023 alone, volunteers managed to collect over 9,200 pounds of trash. However, due to the rain during this year’s clean-up day, the total for the current event is expected to fall short of last year’s impressive numbers. Keep the Midlands Beautiful will be calculating the bag counts from each site in the coming week, and the community is eager to see how they measure up this time around.
A Call to Action
As the clouds gradually began to part and the sun made a hesitant appearance, the volunteers finished their efforts with a sense of accomplishment. They understand the importance of their work, not just for Lake Murray, but for the ecosystem as a whole. This event is a vital reminder that when people come together for a common cause, they can create a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.
If you couldn’t make it this time, don’t worry! The spirit of community involvement doesn’t end here. Whether it’s a small act of picking up a piece of litter or organizing a clean-up crew, every little effort counts. Let’s not wait for the next big event; let’s take personal responsibility and contribute towards keeping our beautiful Midlands pristine.
