Event clears boat launch site of waste

CHESAPEAKE — This year’s annual canoe caper, hosted by the Symmes Creek Restoration Committee, is set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Symmes Creek boat launch site.

The event is about cleaning up the area of trash and debris, and participants will go up and down the river on canoes or kayaks collecting items to clean the area up.

“We’re looking forward to continuing the promotion and stewardship of the Symmes Creek water shed,” Joe Benning, committee chairman, said.

Participants will receive free T-shirts and lunch provided, and prizes will be awarded for the most trash collected as well as the most unique trash collected.

Benning said last year the event drew about 45 participants, and this year, a Boy Scout troop from South Point will be assisting by having canoes for anyone who doesn’t have their own, as well as camping out at the area the night before.

“With the Boy Scout troop camping out the night before, I expect there to be about 40 youths participating Saturday, plus adults,” Benning said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we had about 60 participants out there this year.”

He added that last year only about 22 bags of trash were collected, but said that he was happy people are being more conscious about dumping and littering in the area.

Tickets for the grand prize of an Old Town canoe, donated by the South Hills Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, will also be sold during the event.

The Symmes Creek boat launch is located off County Road 123A.