Teen Bikes In To Help Clean Up Dirty Problem In The High Country
LEADVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) - Illegally dumped tires, washing machines and mattresses dot the landscape. Now a 15-year-old Leadville teen is stepping up to take care of the problem.
Sam Frykholm says he Loves spending time in the outdoors and the forest around his town of Leadville and central Colorado, but the amount of illegally-dumped trash bothers him.
"Our goal is four tons," Sam Frykholm says said.
And that's four tons hauled via bike with a newly purchased bicycle trailer.
"I don't think that any mountain community is immune to this. I think you'd find this issue everywhere," his father Peter Frykholm, said.
Within a day of launching a GoFundMe page for the new heavy duty bike trailer he already has passed his $1,200 goal.
"Sam is a great kid. He and I have a lot of fun together ... you're out in the woods and you just have quality time together. If you can incorporate something important and meaningful into those hours together, then that's just a bonus," Peter Frykholm, said.
Sam Frykholm says is just happy so many other people have shown support for his big goal.
"I'm totally lucky to have such support within the community from within our friends and it's been really, really special, he added.
The county commissioners have also asked Sam Frykholm to mark on GPS where the trash is found so they can better track where illegal dumping is occurring.
Sam Frykholm says he plans on collecting the debris every summer until he graduates and he will be allowed to dump it for free at the county landfill.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
