VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP SWANNANOA

The rainy weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the fifty enthusiastic volunteers who came out Saturday morning (April 5) to participate in a Swannanoa community cleanup.  Teams of volunteers in orange safety vests picked up trash and debris throughout the Swannanoa community during the second annual Swannanoa Spring Sweep, sponsored by the Swannanoa Pride Community Coalition.  Cleanup sites included U.S. 70, Old U.S. 70, Patton Cove Road, Buckeye Cove Access Road, and Davidson Road.  Event organizer Maureen Dillow was pleased that so many people came out to help despite the bad weather.  “I think this is a great example of the kind of community spirit we have here in Swannanoa,” Dillow said.

By the time the cleanup was over, volunteers had picked up enough trash to fill 140 large garbage bags.  Other items collected from the roadsides and river banks included several 55 gallon drums, a commode, a TV set, assorted pieces of furniture, numerous tires, a bed, a massage table, and even a kitchen sink.  One lucky volunteer, Sarah Scott, found $6.00 along U.S. 70.  This is the second year in a row that the Scott family has uncovered cash while participating in the cleanup.  Scott’s son Sam hit the jackpot during last year’s Swannanoa Sweep when he found $20.00 along the banks of a stream that he was cleaning.  “It really does pay to volunteer!” Scott said.

The Swannanoa Sweep was generously supported by the Asheville Christian Academy, Warren Wilson College, Quality Forward, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Valley Ace Hardware, and Buckeye Kennels. 

Saturday’s event was the third major community cleanup sponsored by the Swannanoa Pride Community Coalition in the past 12 months.  The organization plans to hold another cleanup in the fall.  If you’d like to help, please call 686-8281.