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BAZETTA -- Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from elementary to high school converged at the Mosquito Lake State Park Saturday for the sixth annual "Helping Hands Cleanup Day" organized by the Friends of Mosquito Lake State Park Inc.
Approximately 175 children and adults spent time Saturday walking through the nearly 2,500-acre state park raking leaves, clearing fallen branches and picking up litter to make the park more attractive.
"We do this to help get the park ready for the summer," said Renee Hendrickson, chairwoman of Friends of Mosquito Lake State Park Inc. "Our goal is to provide help to the park and its employees."
Hendrickson said most of the 22-member group are just area residents whose families have been actively using the park system.
The nonprofit was approached six years ago about providing assistance in clearing tree limbs and brush that was left during a project in which trees were being taken down.
"About two weeks later, we had about 100 volunteers who came out to help clear the park," Hendrickson said.
Since then, Friends of Mosquito Lake State Park Inc. has worked to gather volunteers every April to do a large cleanup of the park.
"Generally, we get members of various Cub, Boy, Girl Scouts and other groups to volunteer to provide help," Hendrickson said.
On Saturday, members of Cub Scout Pack 11 of Warren, Cub Scout Pack 450 of Cortland, Boy Scout Troop 83 of Mineral Ridge, Boy Scout Troop 54 of Cortland, Boy Scout Troop 31 of Niles and Cub Scout Pack 101 of Warren volunteered to clean up the park.
Members of the Mosquito Lake Golf Club and other individuals also came out to help with the effort.
Brad Lang, a Scout leader with Boy Scout Troop 83, brought about 22 members of his troop to the park.
"This is the first time we've done this at Mosquito Lake, but we've done similar projects in other parks," Lang said.
For the Scouts, they worked hard most of the morning, knowing they would be at the lake's edge trying to catch fish later in the afternoon.
"The idea is to work hard and then play hard," Lang said.
Lang said members of his troop are receiving Mosquito Lake badges for their work, but they were not aware of them when they volunteered.
"We encourage giving cheerful service to others," Lang said. "We teach them that providing unselfish service to others will not only benefit those being helped, but also all those surrounding them."
Kathy Constantine and Jeremy Johnson of Cub Scout Pack 101 of Warren arrived at the cleanup with 25 Cub Scouts and their parents.
"The boys are earning their conservation award badges," Constantine said.
Johnson added the Cub Scouts are learning it takes people working together to take care of Mother Earth.
"They are working together with their families to keep the park clean," he said.
Hendrickson said the cleanup is one of several projects hosted by Friends of Mosquito Lake State Park Inc. A fishing derby will be June 2, a skeeter fest and flea market will be July 14, and a Halloween camp will take place during the last week of September.
rsmith@tribtoday.com