Homer residents brought 305 bags of trash and 39 bags of recyclables to the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center for Clean-Up Day on Saturday, according to a press release from the chamber. The chamber gave away eight prizes for winners in the group, individual, most recyclables and family categories, as well as four door prizes.

The Homer Wilderness Leaders, or HoWL, youth collected 170 bags of trash and 29 bags of recyclables after countless hours of trash pick-up throughout the community.

The chamber noted fewer participants than previous years at the event, which staff attributes to the lack of snow over the last two winters. 

“Homer is no longer picking up trash from the roads that was previously buried,” Karen Zak, the chamber’s executive director, wrote in the press release. “Homer citizens are keeping the streets clean of debris all year round and that is a good trend.”

Chamber volunteers delivered trash bags, donated by Kenai Peninsula Borough, to Pioneer Avenue businesses and retrieved them from curbsides to bring back to the chamber. The chamber’s parking lot held the trash and recyclable bins from Alaska Waste.

The Kachemak Bay Lions provided food for the volunteers. 

Volunteers sorted through recyclables, dividing up the plastic bottles, glass, cans, paper and cardboard. A bin for number five plastic containers was provided by Sustainable Wares, according to the press release. Volunteers from the Rotary Club also collected surplus meat, fish and non-perishable goods for the Homer Community Food Pantry.

Clean-up Day Winners

Group

1st Place – Christian Community Church

Prize:
Barb’s Video & DVD – certificates for 10 Movie Rentals & $50 Homer Bucks 

2nd Place – Troop 365 ( for Lions Club)

Prize: Boss Hogz – three $20 gift certificates

Individuals

1st Place – Noe Ramirez

Prize:
Homer Theater – six movie tickets & $50 Homer Bucks

2nd Place – Barbara Williams 

Prize: Dutch Boy Landscaping – $25 gift certificates

Most Recyclables

1st Place – Jeff, Brie & Sophie Williams 

Prize: Ulmer’s Paper Shredder & $50 Homer Bucks  

2nd Place – McKinney Family

Sustainable Wares – $50 gift certificate

Family

1st Place – Jeff, Brie & Sophie Williams 

Prize: O”Reilly Auto Parts – $50 gift certificate

2nd Place – Wrenn (Douglas) Lemieuz-Holgate (Jennie) 

Prize: Boss Hogz – two $20 gift certificates

Door prizes were won by:

Youth Bike Female  — Bernadette Gradney 

Youth Bike Male — Daniel Ackerman

Teenager Bike Female — Alexis

Teenager Bike Male — Noe Ramirez