Highway cleanup set for Saturday in Eagle County
EAGLE COUNTY — With the early thaw this year, our roadways and medians are already snow-free. This means that the trash and debris that’s been accumulating for months is now front and center, an eye-sore throughout the county. The annual Community Pride Highway Cleanup is a project of the Eagle River Watershed Council and is presented by Vail Resorts EpicPromise. This fun community event is the Vail Valley’s way of sprucing up for residents and visitors alike.
This year, the 15th annual event will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. More than 950 volunteers will participate in this annual rite of spring to pick up litter from over 140 miles of Eagle County roadways (Interstate 70 and Highways 6, 24 and 131). Last year, volunteers removed more than 12 tons of trash from roadways.
Golden Toilet Seat Award
After the morning of hard work, volunteers and their families are invited to a free thank you barbecue at the Broken Arrow Restaurant in Arrowhead from noon to 2 p.m. The party will feature live music from First Chair, beer from Crazy Mountain Brewing, a raffle and delicious food prepared by the Arrowhead Alpine Club and Beaver Creek Mountain Dining. The highlight of the party is the Golden Toilet Seat Award given to the team that collects the most bizarre piece of trash. In 2014, the Ruggs Benedict team earned the award for finding a full set of dentures along U.S. Highway 6 near Gypsum.
Organizers are looking for more volunteers. Call 970-827-5406 or email info@erwc.org to become a team leader or to join an existing team.