EASTON, Pa. — The winners of Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s second annual Quest for the Golden Grabber were a dozen self-proclaimed bad guys with facial hair.
Jeremy Smith’s team, called The Bearded Villains, won the litter-picking competition, officials announced Friday.
“The group of 12 cleaned up the Lehighton Trailhead and removed 20 bags of litter from along the trail, river and around the caboose,” said Alice Wanamaker, economic development manager for The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, the agency that oversees the D&L Trail.
“They won the official golden grabber trophy.”
In its second year, the Quest for the Golden Grabber is an effort to engage community members in a friendly competition while cleaning litter from the trail, which runs from just outside of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, to Bristol, Bucks County.
More than 45 bags of trash were collected during the contest. Seven groups participated, totaling 31 volunteers.
Alice Wanamaker, economic development manager for The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
More than 45 bags of trash were collected during the contest, Wanamaker said. Seven groups totaling 31 volunteers participated.
Last year’s quest ran from April 20-28. Five groups totaling 74 volunteers participated, cleaning up more than 75 bags of trash.
The winning group was from Nazareth Area High School, led by Olivia Davison. The group, which included 10 students, cleaned up Allentown Canal Park, removing 12 bags of litter from along the trail, river and edge of the canal.