(LEX 18) — After a month of planning, volunteers gathered for a special cleanup of the Licking River in Pendleton County. The river sweep removed trash and tires that had been dumped in the water, all to honor a man who dedicated his time to keeping the city of Butler clean.
The cleanup focused on small creeks flowing into the river and roads around Butler. It's called the Boo Project, named after Robert "Boo" Singleton who made it his mission to keep the river clean.
"When we learned about the Boo Project, I didn't know Boo personally but he was a great community man giving back to the community. Not just in Butler but in Pendleton County," said David Asher.
Back in May, plans were shared for this community-wide river sweep to help clean and care for the Licking River in Butler.
State Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer has been instrumental in supporting the project.
"This commitment around wellness and economic development and energy. Those are my three pillars as a senator and this is all about wellness," Frommeyer said.
"Boo Singleton reached out to me two years ago and wanted me to do a river sweep. And he was astounded and wanted to share how many tires are thrown into our river," she added.
Singleton sadly died in April from a medical emergency. The Boo Project was started as a way to honor him and his dedication to the community.
Senator Frommeyer says an educational outdoor trail will be added to the project.
"And in his honor we're going to be putting in a launch so we can get watercraft in the water more easily and that's going to be named after Boo," she said.
"To know this city was under water a couple months ago and this community just wants to take care of the property and wants to attract tourism so we're just super excited to be a partner in this," Asher said.
