St. Agnes School student McKenzie Clark found one of 17 golden eggs during the Lake Placid Village Clean Up Day scavenger hunt Saturday, May 14. (Photo provided)

LAKE PLACID — Well over 100 people volunteered their time to bag up trash along Lake Placid’s roadsides on Saturday, May 14 as part of the village’s annual Lake Placid Clean Up Day.

Tricia Garrett, who’s organized the clean up day with Andrea Grout for around 10 years now, guessed that about 150 volunteers donated their time this year to make Lake Placid a cleaner village. That was a huge turnout compared to last year — when the clean up day was scaled down because of the pandemic — and in 2020, when the clean up day was scrapped altogether.

“This year everybody was out in droves. It’s great,” Garrett said.

She added that the two-year clean up day hiatus was evident on Saturday as people filled up bags and bags of trash.

“We didn’t do the clean up during COVID, and it showed,” Garrett said.

A team representing the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games poses at the Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center Saturday, May 14 while taking part in the annual Lake Placid Village Clean Up Day. From left are Logan McReynolds, Chris Carroll, Adam DeSantis, Michael Wingate, Rick Patzke, Matt Morrell, Amanda Birchenough-Morrell, Kim Beach and Tracey Viola. (Provided photo — Lake Placid 2023)

Garrett said most people reported picking up more trash this year than in years past. She said one person found “hundreds” of mini bottles of Fireball on roadsides. On top of that, she said it was “infuriating” for people to drive down Old Military Road the day after the cleanup to see another McDonald’s drink cup tossed along the shoulder.

Garrett said it was nice to see a good turnout this year, and volunteers cleaned up 95% of the clean up day’s designated areas in the village. She said there were some newcomers to town who chipped in, along with the usual suspects who show up every year. People were bringing their kids and setting a good example, she said, and a lot of local groups and businesses volunteered their time and products.

St. Agnes School Principal Catherine Bemis said the school tries to get a group together for the clean up every year, and this year 15 people from St. Agnes cleaned up trash around the village. One person in the group — McKenzie Clark — found a “golden egg” with a voucher for free maple syrup from the Uihlein Foundation hiding inside.

Garrett said there were 17 golden eggs hidden around Lake Placid during the clean up day for volunteers to find, open and win a reward for their hard work. The Garden Club of Lake Placid, a Clean Up Day sponsor, and local businesses such as the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery and Central Garage, contributed money and products to the eggs.

Bemis said that hiding golden eggs is a fun way to make sure kids have their eyes peeled while picking up trash. She said adults and kids from St. Agnes were competing to see who could find the most trash, and they ended the day with popsicles in Teddy Bear Park.

From left, Sarah Fitzgerald, Molly Fitzgerald, Sean Fitzgerald, Conan Fitzgerald, Wyatt Lustberg, Knox Lustberg, Eleanor Lustberg, Rory Lustberg, Becky Hansen, hollis Hansen, Sam Hanson, Liam Hansen and McKenzie Clark participate in Lake Placid Village Clean Up Day Saturday, May 14. (Photo provided)

“It’s a really wonderful day,” Bemis said. “It’s a great way to teach responsibility and good service and get everyone involved in our greater community.”

Garrett said a lot of other groups contributed to the clean up, too. The Lake Placid National Honor Society brought a group, along with the Adirondack Sports Council and some local hotels. And when all the bags were filled up, town and village crews picked up the trash and took them to the dump.

“It was a combined community effort,” Garrett said.

Garrett wasn’t sure how much trash got picked up this year, though she guessed it was “lots.” Volunteers at clean up day got a free pass to the dump for the day, and Garrett thought at least four cars full of trash had gone to the dump.

Garrett said it was “crazy” how much trash they picked up. She said it seems like people aren’t teaching their kids how to clean up the messes they’ve made.

Eleanor Lustberg, McKenzie Clark, Knox Lustberg participate in Lake Placid Village Clean Up Day Saturday, May 14. (Photo provided)

“We need to teach our kids stewardship — not only of our land but of each other,” she said.

Sponsors of the clean up day include the village of Lake Placid, the town of North Elba, the Garden Club of Lake Placid, Central Garage and the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery.

Liam Hansen and Sam Hansen participate in Lake Placid Village Clean Up Day Saturday, May 14. (Photo provided)