Beginning Friday and lasting through the weekend, thousands are expected to take part in the “Gambler 500” in around the Crooked River National Grassland. The event is an adventure challenge to clean up trash sites across public lands in the area.
This weekend will be a great opportunity for community members to participate in clean up efforts on the only National Grassland in the Pacific Northwest and the Millican Valley. General public volunteers along with event participants will be focusing on larger garbage dump sites and abandoned vehicles. Participants will have a mobile application (Sons of Smokey app is available for iPhone and Android) that provides locations of known trash sites and abandoned vehicle site locations. Collected items will be returned to the fairgrounds and landfill for disposal. Prizes will be awarded for most debris, biggest debris, shooting pit clean up, and more.
Trash disposal is made possible by grants acquired by the Sons of Smokey, the 501(c)3 non-profit organization associated with the Gambler 500 event. For information on how to participate in the event, visit https://www.gambler500.com/.
Be aware of the significant increase in traffic on the grassland and surrounding public lands from July 14-16 and plan your visit accordingly. Have an alternate plan or location for your weekend adventures if you do not want to encounter volunteers and event participants.
For more information on volunteering on the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, visit: https://discoveryourforest.org/volunteer/
