CLEANUP HONOR ROLL

LMRA and TPI take home Governor's PALS awards

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

Thompson and Iler received awards last month

Martin Dam journeyman Matt Thompson won the Golden Picker Prize Bag

LLake Martin Resource Association became the Alabama People Against a Littered State Governor’s Volunteer of the Year last month, following LMRA’s 16th annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup Nov. 4 and 5. John Thompson, former LMRA president, said he believes the award is a direct result of volunteers and businesses coming together to make the event happen every year.

“It’s grown to the point that, with the participation we get now, we’re not cleaning up the large items and the big amounts that we had for so many years. We’re starting to really have to look for trash. We’re no longer finding the bigger deposits that we did early on. It’s really paying off,” Thompson explained.

Over the past 16 years of ROR cleanups, volunteers have collected over 170 tons of trash from Lake

Martin shorelines and roadsides, including plastic and glass bottles, tires, television sets and refrigerators.

Including younger generations is an important part of the event for Thompson. Every year, artwork from a third- or fourth-grader at

Stephens Elementary School is displayed on T-shirts distributed to cleanup volunteers. Alabama Power prints some 500 of the T-shirts for the ROR program, which the utility company started more than 20 years ago. Alabama Power also provides trash pickers and bags for the volunteers.

“It’s extremely important to me to involve the younger generation.

The kids love being outside, and it’s just a great time when they’re young to show them the trash.

Let them see it, let them realize that not only is it ugly and makes a bad influence on people, but there are certain items that are dangerous to the environment,” Thompson said. “We couldn’t have done this without the team effort.

Wind Creek State Park, TowBoatUS, Lake Martin Dock and, of course, Alabama Power and Russell Lands, all have come together. Having entities like that work together, we just couldn’t have done it with a handful of employees and volunteers,” Thompson explained.

As a reward to a volunteer each year, Tallapoosa Publishers collects donated items from businesses throughout the community for the Golden Picker Prize Bag. Tied up with a trash picker painted gold, the bag contains gift cards and other donated items. The name of the Golden Picker Prize Bag is drawn from volunteers who send their cleanup photos to editor@lakemagazine.life during and after the cleanup. “It’s wonderful that everybody jumps in to contribute to the bag when we call them. Everybody says yes, and everybody gives us great stuff – gift cards, Bluetooth speakers. One year, Nicky Spears gave us a laptop. This year, Kenneth Boone put in a beautiful framed photograph taken from the top of Chimney Rock. Seeing how supportive this community is of the effort to keep Lake Martin liter free is just amazing. And to be able to be part of that is what makes this job really wonderful,” said Betsy Iler, editor-in-chief at TPI’s magazine division. Iler was presented with the Media Award at the ALPALS Governor’s Awards banquet for Lake magazine’s promotion of the annual cleanup. “While I am honored and humbled to receive the recognition, the award belongs to the entire staff at TPI. Everyone here turns out to take photos on the cleanup days. Our newspapers feature articles about the cleanup, and our leadership – General Manager Tippy Hunter, former Publisher Steve Baker and TPI Chairman Kenneth Boone – have always supported our efforts,” Iler said.

With volunteers by the hundreds supporting the cleanup, it’s no wonder the Renew Our Rivers annual event has been so successful over the years.

“It says that Lake Martin has the best kind of people. Since the day I first landed here, I have been astounded by the way this community gives its heart and soul to things that matter. It’s the best place I’ve ever lived, this community,” she said.

From left to right: Arnold English; Lee Reynolds and Charlotte Denton; Raymond Futural and Caleb Goodwin; Adam Ashworth, Dax Culligan, Jamie Taylor, Bryan Riddle and Ralph Ziegler; Dax Culligan and Jamie Taylor; Westly Woods; Wendy Powell; Jimmy Huett; Debbie Gibson; Dianne Perrett and Robbie Dial; Trash from Hwy 50; Sam Clippin ger; Becca Wilson; Alana Tolbert, Kahlia Wilson, Hunter Palfrey, Tekevious Heard, Asia Carr and Bill Thompson; Dave O'Neal and Kenny Hubbard; Norm White, Makenzie Smith, Seth Chavarria, Frank Worsham, Jerry Bynum and Brandon Smith.

From Left to Right: Amelia and Will Tampling; Trence Russell; Ken Holland; Litter Cat; Loading trash at Wind Creek State Park; Anne Funderburk; Annette Huett and Bonnie Vinson; Placing trash in one of the dumpster; Ellie Malkemus, Geethika Pocahana, Kaliegh Robinson and Rosie Aaji; Larrmy Warren; Cary Cody; Emily Brown; Real Island Volunteers; Candy Jones, Laura Farris and Gina Murray.

From Left to Right: Bruce Adams; Charolette Denton; Kennedy Tate, Katie Hedrick, Mikhia Burt, Raylee Newman, Jackie Dorn, Bethany Kilpatrick, Natalie Spain and Tammy McVickers; Jody Kidd; Wanda Ryals and Cole Daniel; Voulnteers with the City of Alexander City; Jimmy Huett and Will Denton; Kristi and Mark George; Jean Deal and Minnie Allen; Nywanski Russell, Nathan Sogard; Mike Clelland; Melissa and Bill Duckworth; Rhett Hanks, Mike Clelland and Tim Robbins; Cade Beale.

From Left to Right: A boat unloads trash at Wind Creek; Kathy and Mike Talley and Rebecca Wright; Tonya Holland; Norm White and Frank Worsham; Gina Murray and Kandy Jones; Hollands unloading trash at Wind Creek; Mary Leigh Meredith; Jean Deal; Tallapoosa Kayak Club; Gary Hollon; Tallapoosa County Tourism swag; Jerry Bynum; Gayle English; Joe and Tracey Allen and Susan and Greg Womack; Jeremy Freeman, Matt Thompson, Bill Harrell, Mike Coker and Chris Goodman; Another boat unloads at Wind Creek

From Left to Right: Russell Lands crew; Glen Brawley and Randy Kirkland; Minnie Allen; John David Pemberton; Issac Garner, Alex Trasher, Amhal Bullard and Trey Slagoe; Jan Beale; Justin Phillips; Staci Pemberton; Paige Patterson, Jacob Meacham, Liz Holland, Griffin Harris, Kim Dunn and Lindsey Wheeles Fuller; Kaleb Abney; Linda Reynolds; Ralph Ziegler and Bryan Riddle; Love Lake Martin Towel; Lesley Martin, Katie Rasbury, Jon Wesley Jones, Destiny Ray, Natlie Ray, Rebecca Rasbury, Tonya and Ken Holland and Ansley Lewis; Jane Malloch; Jerry Hanks

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