Citizens of Baynes Lake came together on June 18, rakes and shovels in hand, for their annual spring community clean up.
Throughout the evening, residents of every age busied around the community, rolling wheelbarrows onto trucks and filling tarps with fallen branches, pine cones, and dried grass. Even a handful of youth involved with the South Country’s 4H Club showed up to assist the effort.
Splitting up into two groups, roughly 20 residents remained socially distant while heading to the Baynes Lake Cemetery to rejuvenate the historic location by raking leaves, mowing grass, cutting branches, and removing weeds. Another collection of representatives tended to the community park.
The event was organized by Sarann Press, an active local volunteer in the South Country who encouraged residents to join the effort via a Facebook post made on their community group. Trying to stay as connected as possible throughout the pandemic, members of the community who could not attend the clean up helped landscape in the days proceeding the event.
“During these times we have unfortunately had to cancel community events like our farmers market, but we are still trying to figure out ways to continue being a strong community and getting people together,” said Press. “Socially, it’s so important to get people together. We are very aware of that and everyone is strategizing ways to do that as far as our community goes.”
An annual spring time event, the clean up is usually followed by a hot dog feast at the community hall. According to Press, the event typically sees many more members of the community participating in the effort, however the pandemic prevented many from joining this year. Even so, the community of Baynes Lake, along with all other South Country municipalities including Grasmere, Elko and Jaffray, continue to find ways to come together to support one another as the pandemic continues.
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