Annual Cleanup – Lodi Lake – 2011

by Mr. Doug Chaney – Citizen Reporter and Photographer

Saturday, September 17, was the day of the annual coastal cleanup for the city of Lodi at Lodi Lake.  This event was well attended this year, with approximately 350 participants, including church and school groups, Boy Scout pack  #92, I believe, and several family units that donated their own Saturday morning time from 9:00 AM till noon to scour the Lodi Lake area to remove all the trash and debris that has accumulated since our cleanup last year.

A special thanks go to Dan from the local outdoor and kayak shop and his group of kayakers that volunteered to clean up the areas among the reeds in Lodi Lake from the water that in the past has been basically inaccessible to us from the from the banks of Lodi Lake.  Also to our great contributors, Panera Bread for their great bagels, and Starbucks Coffee, for not only their coffee, but the participation of eight of their employees to guide our cleanup as our team leaders. The boy scouts and their leaders were also immensely helpful in the setup and organization for this event.

We also thank Wal-Mart for providing one of their team organizers to assist in the setup, registration and coordination of this entire event.  Who would also like to thank Mayor Bob Johnson for his appearance and taking time to answer questions and allow a photograph session with those who wished.  His pep talk and words of appreciation to all attendees was well appreciated by all.  Mayor Johnson also participated in the group photograph of all those who participated in our annual coastal cleanup project.  The greatest thanks and appreciation of all goes to Ms. Kathy Grant for her dedication and hard work for making this event possible year after year.  Thank you Kathy for making this such a wonderful event for all those in the Lodi community and we all hope to see you next year.

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