Avon Lake Scavenger Hunt Aims for Cleaner Lake Erie

With the warmer weather comes the inevitable: Car washing, cleaning out the garage and basement. Joe Reitz knows it’s tempting to dump old gasoline, paint down the sewer in the street, or let the runoff from cleaning your car with harsh detergents flow down the drain.

He’s hoping a scavenger hunt will help raise awareness that dumping in the storm sewers in streets will only result in polluted creeks, harming the wildlife that call them home. That same water will eventually drain into Lake Erie, harming fish and other creatures that call the great lake home.

Reitz is using Avon Lake’s “AL the Alligator” to help residents get the message about managing the city’s valuable water resources, like Lake Erie, through storm water education. By focusing on ways to control drainage and run-off of harmful substances from our homes, businesses and local industries, Reitz hopes the city can help maintain a healthy lake and a cleaner environment.

For three weeks beginning April 18, six Avon Lake businesses will prominently display banners with messages about storm water education. Individuals and families are encouraged to participate for an opportunity to enter a drawing for a gift certificate/card.

To participate, residents follow the clues listed below to each of the six business locations, write down the name of the business and the short message off the banner at that site.

Here are the clues Reitz is providing leading to each of the six banners at Avon Lake businesses:

No. 1:            Where does AL the Alligator work from?

No. 2            Where would you Auto-matically go for parts?

No. 3            It’s a purr-fect Paw spa for your furry friends.

No. 4            Where can you get a Flamethrower and experience a Blizzard at the same place?

No. 5            Where you can find, “What Women Want”?

No. 6            Chickens have to walk away from this Wild place.

Please include your contact information; name, address, phone and/or email with your entry.  Deadline for submissions is May 27.

Completed entries can be sent to: AL the Alligator, c/o Avon Lake Engineering Dept., 150 Avon Belden Rd., Avon Lake, OH 44012.

Correctly completed entries received by May 27 are eligible and will be entered in a random drawing for a gift card/certificate. No purchase necessary to participate. One entry per household, please. Winners will be contacted by phone or email.