BUTLER, Ky. — On Saturday morning, dozens of volunteers from the community of Butler, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas came together to clean up the community and honor one of their own who died in April's historic flooding.
Butler native, Robert Singleton, affectionately known as “Boo” was an environmentalist. According to those who knew him, he was always cleaning up around the Licking River.
Singleton was found along the banks of the Licking River during April's historic flooding. Many believe he was attempting to clean the river, as he often did, when he suffered a medical episode and died.
“He was one of the biggest project people that I knew,” said City of Butler Mayor Mason Taylor. “He cared so much that he would take time out, go clean up, just an overall general great person.”
That’s why on Saturday morning, the people of Pendleton County and the City of Butler came together to clean up leftover debris from April’s flood.
Watch how the community came together to continue Boo's legacy:
“Unfortunately an event like that does bring the citizens together, and what a way to honor a true community leader in Boo,” said David Asher, who is the chief strategic officer with the Harrison Memorial Hospital, who donated to the cleanup.
The cleanup effort, known as the “Boo Singleton Project” focused on a number of areas throughout the community, each with teams picking up any trash they found big or small.
“Picking up garbage, we’re hoping to get tires out. Unfortunately, the river is still in flood, but we do have a secondary plan and some creek areas that we’re gonna work on,” said Tami Vater, Pendleton County economic and tourism development director.
In addition to the first community cleanup, organizers of The Boo Project hope to build an educational walking trail and boat ramp at the Butler Community Park as a memorial to Singleton.
Vater said the ramp would allow better access for boats to enter the river for clean-ups.
"It's going to have a rail on it so you can put your boat, canoe or kayak on it and slide it down," she said.
The county is working with area donors and the University of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension office to get grant funding for the project.
Kenna Knight with the Extension Office said phase one, including the walking trail, was already funded. She said it would help people learn about the river and how to care for it.
On Saturday, the teams worked together for nearly five hours, all to continue the legacy of “Boo.”
“What better way to dedicate something to him than to continue the education and awareness of recycling, reusing and just properly disposing of solid waste,” said Alison Moore with the Pendleton County 109 Board.
“If he can take time out of his day to pick up one piece of garbage, then we should all take time out of our day to pick up a piece of garbage,” Taylor said.
