The city of Orange is hosting the Bassmasters Elite Series Tournament, The Sabine River Challenge, in mid March. The event is expected to bring more than 700 visitors to the area.
The city is in the process of demolishing buildings that they consider to be eyesores. Groups are now turning their attention to the river and surrounding areas picking up debris.
When the nations top anglers float into town organizers and residents hope they like what they see. Sean Adams with Airboat Rides Inc. of Orange is coordinating the volunteers.
"We don't want people seeing trash, you don't want them to think bad about the place," said Adams.
The desire to make a good first impression is one reason Orange County Parks and Rec department is giving some of their properties a facelift by tournament time.
Parks Director, Donna Scales says, "In addition to our normal duties, we're doing a little extra. We'll be striping the parking lot at BlueBird Park."
The organization Keep Orange County Beautiful has partnered with Airboat Rides Inc. of Orange to clean-up the trash along the Sabine River. Sean Adams will be leading the cleanup.
Adams says, "We're going to be working from I-10 bridge at the Sabine River all the way down to Orange Public Boat Ramp.
Volunteers will be both on the boat and on land to pick up trash. Adams says the types of trash varies.
"A few refrigerators used tires, coolers trash bags, plastic bottles, beer cans. Some of it naturally occurring from storms a lot of it's wreckless people throwing things off their boats," said Adams.
But they want all of it to be gone before the anglers try to reel in the biggest fish.
Adams says, "The swamp is a place that filters the environment. It provides clean oxygen rich water for the fish and wildlife that live here and it's cluttered with trash it's just not good."
All that to make sure Orange has catches the opportunity to reel in new visitors so they just have to drop their line in the Sabine River again.
All the gloves, trash bags, everything you need to help out has been donated. So if you want to help you need to call Sean at Airboat Rides Inc. of Orange so he knows how much equipment he needs bring. That number is 409-883-0318. The goal is to get at least 20 volunteers to help clean up that eight mile stretch of the river. Volunteers will then meet at Blue Bird Park at 8 a.m. Wednesday, February 27, 2012.
The clean up is made possible through grant funds by Southeast Texas Resource Conservation and Development through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality SEP Program.
