Mark your calendars for March 25 and turn out for the last major cleanup on Lake Martin before the water reaches full pool. The Red Hill community spring cleanup recently was renamed to honor longtime lake area volunteer Reuben Thornton, who passed away late last year.

Thornton and his wife, Jackie, started the annual cleanup in 2015, and the event has grown in volunteer numbers, sponsorships and cleanup locations. In 2018, the couple extended the cleanup coverage to the Kowaliga community while adding two new drop-off locations for collected trash. Thornton continued his participation in the cleanup until 2020 when his health prevented it.Â