Last Updated on April 13, 2015 6:09 pm
Volunteers from Grandfather Mountain and the Williams YMCA of Avery County partnered Saturday to clean trash from four miles of N.C. 181 between Linville and Newland.
More than 20 people worked tirelessly Saturday morning to remove bottles, wrappers and other trash — including a coffee maker and several tires — from the roadside, filling approximately 100 bags in the process.
The cleanup was organized by Trey Oakley, CEO of the Williams YMCA, and his father, Tommy Oakley, entrance gate manager for Grandfather Mountain, after the two noticed how much trash had been discarded along that stretch of road.
DeLee Scott, director of membership and marketing for the Williams YMCA, said the Y has been involved with other volunteer projects in the community but never a roadside cleanup.
“We were happy to partner with Grandfather Mountain, and we appreciate everybody that came out and helped,” Scott said.
Tommy Oakley said it was a natural fit for Grandfather Mountain to be involved in the project, given the nonprofit’s mission to conserve the natural world.
“That’s a big involvement in the community that we ought to be a leader in,” he said.
Photo by Kellen Short | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
