Great Lake Allatoona Clean Up Set For Sept. 30

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- Keeping Lake Allatoona clean is a 365 day of the year commitment, and the Great Lake Allatoona Clean Up committee is already planning the operations that take place during this year's volunteer initiative.

Saturday, Sept. 30 will mark the 32nd year that the organization brings together thousands of volunteers from the three counties that border the lake, and beyond, to help pick up trash along the Allatoona lake shore.

The Great Lake Allatoona Clean Up’s mission statement is to lead the Lake Allatoona community in environmental stewardship of the watershed through education, preservation, conservation and volunteerism.

“We are trying to send the message to the community that keeping the lake and surrounding land is more than just a one day job. It’s an everyday commitment," said Carole Miller, GLAC committee member." Any of us who have spent time around the lake has seen empty cans, fast food wrappings, random articles of clothing and so much more at any given day in the year. Participating in events and activities around the lake with our partners throughout the year helps us get the word out that the lake needs our stewardship 365 days of the year."

On Saturday, May 20, GLAC joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Safe Kids of Cherokee County for the 2nd annual Kids to the Parks Day and Safe Kids Day at Galts Ferry Landing.

Kids to Parks™ (KTP) Day is a national day of outdoor play organized by the National Park Trust in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers and other national and regional collaborators. Fourth-grade students in attendance received Every Kid to the Park Passes, that are good for free admission at federal parks across the country for the entire family.

Volunteers from the Safe Kids Cherokee County were on hand to provide free car seat checks, distribute sun screen and present information on the many other ways of staying safe while enjoying the lake and area parks.

The Cherokee County Dive Team also put on demonstrations of the equipment used for their underwater search and recovery work in the lake. The Dive team, part of the Cherokee County Fire-Emergency Services, is made up of volunteers who are specially trained to perform rescue dive missions across Cherokee County and surrounding communities in northern Georgia.

In addition to handing out literature about water conservation and preservation, GLAC volunteers helped children recycle and repurpose old lamp shades into planting containers. Volunteers helped children plant herb seedlings in small lamp shades filled with recycled Styrofoam, landscape fabric and planting soil.

“Most of the children we worked with, knew what the concept of recycling was all about. It was great to see that this younger generation was already aware of what it meant to reuse things for other purposes," said Pat Scully, GLAC volunteer.

The Great Lake Allatoona Cleanup will take place from 9 a.m to noon Sept. 30 at various sites around the lake. For more information or to register, click here.

Following the cleanup, a volunteer appreciation picnic will be held at Riverside Day Use Park in Cartersville.

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