By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

The Lay Lake Cleanup Week is celebrating its 17th anniversary April 12-18.

Sponsored by the Lay Lake Home Owners and Boat Owners, HOBO member Judy Jones is the cleanup chair and has been chair continuously since the event began in 1999.

“I live on the lake and want it to be a clean, attractive environment,” said Jones. “I want future generations to enjoy the lake. Trash destroys the beauty of the lake.

“No one in HOBO wanted to take on the cleanup, so I did. I helped organize the first cleanup in 1999 and have not stopped. I could see that if we didn’t do something about the trash, in time it would fill up the lake. The amount of trash we continue to collect each year keeps me wanting to make sure we have a cleanup. I have so many wonderful people helping me coordinate the cleanup that I actually enjoy working on the cleanup.

“In 2005 we collected 22.75 tons of trash and last year in 2014 we collected 13.42 tons, down 9 plus tons,” Jones said. “The dumpster placed by Waste Pro and other waste companies are weighed at the landfill. Individuals can weigh their own.”

Cleanup week is April 12-18. Large plastic bags, provided by Alabama Power, will be distributed by HOBO members and available at various marinas.

Individuals pick up trash, put trash in bags and place in dumpsters.

Waste Pro will place dumpsters at Paradise Point, Beeswax, Okomo, Bozo’s, LaCoosa and Lay Port.

Dumpsters will also be placed at three Talladega County locations.

Dumpsters should be onsite from April 15-21. Large items (no logs) will be removed by the Alabama Power barge and Shelby County.

The Volunteer Appreciation Picnic will be Saturday, April 18 from 12-2 p.m. at Beeswax Creek Park.

Hot dogs donated by Zeigler’s and prepared by the Baptist Church at Lay Lake and Lay Lake HOBO will be served.

T-shirts provided by Alabama Power will be distributed to all volunteers.

Dumpster will be at the Beeswax Boat Launch.

For information, bags, or to report large items, call Jones at (205) 669-4865.

HOBO’s website is Laylakehobo.org.