Sand Dunes Cleanup event this weekend

The 13th annual Sand Dunes Cleanup is taking place this weekend at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

The cleanup, which is put on by the United Desert Gateway, is held each year over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend and is attended by over 3,000 volunteers.

"This is a good, fun family event. It keeps our local dunes clean and open for everyone," said Charla Teeters, project manager for United Desert Gateway. "We are hoping volunteers show up and as in years past scour the desert, picking up all the trash they find."

Teeters said registration sites will be set up in a variety of locations across the dunes. South dunes registration areas include Gordon's Well, Buttercup at Vendors Row, Ogilby Camp and Midway. The northend registration area includes Glamis Flats, Wash Road (Wash 4), Gecko Road across from the ranger station and Oldsmobile Hill.

To participate, Teeters said, all duners need to do is show up at one of the designated registration sites beginning at 8 a.m. PST (9 a.m. Arizona time). The first 3,000 volunteers to register, she added, will receive a free T-shirt.

"Over a thousand bags of trash were collected during last year's cleanup," Teeters said. "People are becoming more aware of their impact on the recreation area so we have seen a decline in the amount of trash being collected over the years."

The cleanup will last until 11:30 a.m. Every time a volunteer brings back a full bag of trash, they can exchange it for a ticket to enter into a prize drawing.  Lunch will be served in the main staging areas from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. PST (12:30-1:30 Arizona time) and the prize drawings will be held after lunch.

The United Desert Gateway is a nonprofit public benefit corporation comprised of the Brawley, El Centro and  Yuma chambers of commerce.

Teeters said the organization works hand in hand, through an assistance agreement, with the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California Desert District and other partners to enhance the recreational experience at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) and other BLM-managed lands in the area.

Anyone who would like more information or has questions can call Teeters at 1-760-337-4155.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.

13th annual Sand Dunes Cleanup registration and signup information:

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16
REGISTRATION: 8 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• North dunes, Glamis Flats
• South dunes, Gordon's Well
PRIZE GIVEAWAY: 12:30 p.m. until done.

Signup locations:
•  North Dunes: Glamis Flats (main stage area, Gecko Road, Oldsmobile Hill, Roadrunner, Wash Road
• South Dunes: Gordon's Well (main stage area), Buttercup (vendor row), Midway, Ogilby Camp (past the tower toward the south)