Everyday Tow Heroes In IL

Round of applause to the crew from Reynold's Towing, who came out to help clean up trash after the marathon! Here's the story from The Daily Illini.com:

As the 2010 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon weekend ended successfully, local volunteers helped clean up the trash and remnants.

15,000 runners and 2,500 volunteers participated Saturday, according to a press release from Christie Clinic. Reynolds Towing volunteered to help clean up the aftermath.

"Our goal is to leave the streets on the routes clean and tidy and also to avoid any overburden on the city workers," said Susan Jepson, Reynolds' chief financial officer.

Sally Walker, University High School Athletic Director, gathered 225 volunteers to join the Marathon Clean-Up Team.

A plan was compiled to clean-up during and after the race. Walker's crew worked the entire race course to pick up garbage and dispose it in color-coded trash bags during the races Saturday. They were stationed at each mile.

A truck from Reynolds Towing followed the last runners to the finish line to pick up clothes that runners tossed off; they will be donated to Goodwill. A donated trash hauler from ABC Sanitary picked up trash bags filled with trash and recyclables and took them to their facility to be separated. A minivan and pick-up truck from Reynolds pulled the Marathon trailer to pick up equipment from water and aid stations, signs, tables and mile marker balloons.

They were unaware of any missing trash.

Jepson said last year's marathon lacked a clean-up operation, leaving the organizers to pick up the entire route.

"We had a parade of six vehicles with flashing lights, and we went through the entire marathon route," Jepson said. "It was two full loads in 26 miles of making sure that the community was left the way it started."

Martha Osterbur, media coordinator for Christie Clinic, said the marathon was fortunate to have such "outstanding" volunteers, and it could not have happened without them.

"For all of the people that came to Central Illinois, I am certain that they left with the best impression," Osterbur said.

She added that the spectators along the route Saturday cheered on runners and helped take care of them.

"The whole community came together and made this what it was," Osterbur said.