Help clean up Bay Village's waterways

Volunteers are invited to help clean up Bay Village creekbeds and shoreline on Sept. 24. Photo by Denny Wendell

Now in its tenth year, the Bay Village Waterways Clean-up Day, sponsored by The Bay Village Foundation and Bay High Project Earth Club, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24. All are welcome to meet at the Bay Middle School cafeteria to sign in before 11 a.m. Volunteers of all ages will go out in groups to clean up Bay's waterways and surrounding areas. Children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian or bring signed permission slip.

The city provides trash bags and gloves for use in picking up debris along Cahoon Creek, Columbia Park, Bay Boat Club, and other portions of the Lake Erie waterfront. Under the guidance of Bridgit McFarland of Bay High School and The Bay Village Foundation chair, Mike Romanchek, the group will work for approximately two hours and finish up back at the middle school where the student trustees of The Bay Village Foundation – Chris Eifert, Katherine Finley, Jack Lee and Maggie Williams – will plan and deliver the lunch, funded by the Bay Village Foundation, for the hungry crowd. Afterwards, city workers will pick up the bagged debris at the middle school.

The Bay Village Foundation began the Clean-up Day program in 2006 with the help of the city's service department and with the support of Mayor Deborah Sutherland. The Bay Village Foundation trustees, families, students and several Boy Scout troops joined in the initial effort. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Sutherland founded the Bay Village Green Team and members of that group have participated every year since being founded.

The Clean-up Day will go on rain or shine. Most years, the weather has cooperated, but working around the water – even on nice days – can be wet and muddy. Participants are asked to wear clothes that they don't mind getting muddy or wet. Most volunteers wear boots and find the gloves provided by the city to be very useful. Students, Scouts, parents and other groups looking for service projects are welcome to participate.