ROGERS — Hundreds patrolled Beaver Lake on Saturday in search of trash and litter in the annual cleanup.
Alan Bland, park ranger, said more than 500 people volunteered to assist in the Beaver Lake Cleanup.
The cleanup happens each year on the last Saturday in September and it’s been held for the last 35 years, according to Bland.
Some volunteers returned to an area near the Prairie Creek Marina with bags of garbage and other returned with items that could only bring curiosity about how they ended up on or near the lake.
Calvin Burdess, 9, is with Cub Scout Pack 81 in Rogers. The pack volunteers each year to aid in the cleanup of the lake.
Some pack members returned with a car bumper that had been slightly buried on the shore.
Calvin said he enjoys participating in the cleanup. “I get to find cool stuff and get to win prizes,” he said.
Danny Burdess, Calvin’s father, said the cleanup is one of their service projects each year. Burdess said it is important to help keep the lake clean, but the children really enjoy the activity.
“The kids love it,” Burdess said. “It’s probably one of their favorite things to do each year. It’s a chance to find cool stuff and possibly win prizes.”
The group also found a large piece of foam, which was about the size of a twin bed.
Jessica Scott lives in Tontitown and participated in Saturday’s cleanup.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Scott said.
Scott said she participates in other cleanup projects in the area.
Scott found the front portion of what she believes is a Transformers costume.
Scott’s find was entered into the contest for unusual items found during the cleanup.
Bland has seen other unusual items. The two memorable ones are a large metal replica of the Statue of Liberty and Bland’s own cap that had been lost on the lake.
Bland said they really appreciate the volunteers that come out and spend three or four hours cleaning up the lake since the money is not there to hire people for the cleanup.
“It’s the public’s lake,” Bland said. “It belongs to them and it’s good to see that keeping the lake clean is important to so many people.”
Bland said 350 people signed up to volunteer and they were assisted by 150 children from Camp War Eagle.
One hundred volunteers in Carroll County was cleaning up in the area near the dam site, Bland said.
Bland said they were providing hot dogs to volunteers and prizes were also being awarded.
Tim Hixon of Rogers said he feels it is important to keep the lake clean. “If no one volunteers then it (the garbage) would stay on the lake,” Hixon said.
Christie Escalona, who lives on the lake, has been volunteering for the last five years with the cleanup.
“If you live on the lake keeping it clean each day is important to you,” Escalona said. “It’s just cool that so many others are willing to volunteer their time and come clean up.”