The people of Gardendale had a great opportunity this past weekend to help clean up their city.

The City of Gardendale Public Works Department held their annual clean up day this past Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. at the civic center. Everyone gathered bright and early and looked ready to work. After a brief speech by Mayor Othell Phillips, we were told where we would be picking up trash and were instructed to watch for motorist who may not notice our bright yellow and orange vests.

Everyone hit the road, ready to conquer litter forever. There were trash bags, black gloves and bottled water all around. We split up in teams and had two on one side of the road and two on the other.

My group got the honor of picking up the litter on Main Street. As we walked down to Woodbrook Apartments, my teammate, Donna Dodd, kept saying that people were probably wondering what a bunch of women had done to have to do road work as their community service. I guess in most people’s eyes, we looked like common criminals. But that didn’t stop us from having a good time.

We laughed and cut up the entire time we were out there.

One big perk of the job was that an organization had donated $100 to the person who could find the most unique item. This was more than enough motivation to dig through ditches to find the treasure that would beat out everyone else’s treasure.

Donna struck it right when she found $20 in a grassy field. I thought she might find a little pity in her heart and split it with her partner, but in the true spirit of the game, she kept it.

In our struggles to find the most unique item, we picked up a huge GMC sign from the front of what was probably a pick up truck. We also found a rusty old saw with surprisingly sharp teeth. These items were no match for the real winners of the competition though.

The first place winner for the most unique item found during our clean up day was a white powdery substance that was in a small, clear bag. When the guys inspected it further, they found that it was not drugs, as was previously suspected. Whatever was contained in that bag, it was good enough to win the competition. When we discovered that the guy who found this items wasn’t there, we decided that he couldn’t win the money since he left early.

Second runner up was a pack of men’s underwear and a home marijuana testing kit. This was found by Alan Hall and he gladly accepted his $100 prize for this crazy find. Other strange items that were found was a wallet, training bra and a pregnancy test.

When we all returned back to the civic center, we were welcomed by grilled hamburgers and hot dogs that were cooked by NAPA employees. After eating, they drew names for various prizes that were donated by stores and restaurants in the community. The department did an excellent job of making the day eventful and enjoyable. I look forward to next year’s clean up day, and hope to see more people from around the area participating.