Beaver Lake Clean Up 2014

Once every year, on the last Saturday of September, scores of people converge from the four major cities of Northwest Arkansas as one against a common foe. Caddo or Osage, young or old, weak or strong, it matters not, for on this day the loathing of an adversary outweighs our respective differences. Year after year we come, resolute and steadfast, with numbers strong towards one mission: to wipe the floor with the ever-present enemy, Trash.

Our battlefield: The shores of Beaver Lake. The same lake that provides campers with nonstop fun each summer at Camp War Eagle. The same lake that supplies our community with drinking water. The same lake that is host to a diverse wildlife population. 

Our strategy this year was simple, we divided our forces and attacked from two fronts (North and South). At each front, our brigade of students and their families cleaned out three messy locations (Monte Ne, Old Prairie Creek Road, and the Highway 12 Bridge in the North, the Highway 412 Bridge, Blue Springs Park, and Pin Hook in the South). They fought hard and never wavered in the face of battle. In fact, many of them carried smiles on their faces as if to say, “Picking up trash is fun!” Armed with multiple trash bags and protective gloves, the group of over two hundred and fifty volunteers made quick work of the mess, stuffing trash into bags and scouring the area for any other loose items. Drawing from the energy of our students and their families, some bystanders even joined the fray. One particular man stated, “I live right around the corner and my kids and I try to keep the shoreline clean, but it always gets messy, thank you so much for picking up the trash!” At the end of the day, 2 sixteen-foot trailers FULL of stuffed trash bags were collected and disposed of! The sites were left spotless and residents can once again enjoy the natural beauty of Beaver Lake.

A total of over 630 community hours were awarded to help students fulfill their requirements to go back to Camp War Eagle next summer! Participating were 213 individuals, 153 of them being students and 60 parents or other family members. This event would not have been as fun and exciting were it not for the incredible experience that these students had at camp.  The excitement and commitment of this group was evident as the day came to a close. The CWE 365 staff watched students and families celebrating their camaraderie and accomplishment after a morning of work that reaffirmed friendships and supported the beauty of our region.