The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • Brian Ojanpa

    StClair/StateFair

August 31, 2009

St. Clair students clean up at state fair

More than 200 students pitch in to raise money for sports programs

By Brian Ojanpa

ST. PAUL — Minnesota State Fair garbage has become a tradition for St. Clair High sports boosters, who have been turning trash into cash the past nine years.

On Sunday more than 200 students and adult volunteers pitched in — literally so for those who drew animal barn duty — to raise $7,000 for Cyclone athletic programs.

St. Clair Athletic Backers President Mark Depuydt said the effort all told has raised more than $47,000, the money going to the purchase of football helmets, batting cages and other items in tight school-budget times.

“We had 212 people this year — the most we’ve ever had,” Depuydt said. “Last year we brought 165, and that made for a pretty tough day, so this year we put the word out three weeks ago.”

The first fair Sunday of each year, the St. Clair group arrives in St. Paul for a dual-shift day that goes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Waste cleanup duties are divided into two areas — fairgrounds and animal barns. Fortunately, Depuydt said, there are “fans” of both.

“Some people absolutely won’t work in a barn, and some absolutely won’t do garbage.”

Student Tyler Denn has done both over the years. This year he opted to pick up trash rather than sling a pitchfork.

He and fellow volunteers unanimously agree: The midway area they’ve dubbed “corn cob alley” is an ordeal.

“The worst area ever,” Zenn said of the foodstand-intensive street that includes the heavy, moisture-laden cobs that can make emptying trash barrels a two-person job.

The trick is not to allow bags in barrels to become more than half full, but that’s easier said than done because 180,000 people can produce a lot of trash in a hurry.

“It only takes five or 10 minutes to fill up a barrel, especially around noon,” senior Jared Day said.

Day pushed a large collection cart around on Sunday, weaving his way through elbow-to-elbow humanity not always willing to move.

Student Amy Cords said crowd obstinacy is a challenge every year.

“This year we put two people in front of the cart, with one of the guys yelling, ‘Move out of the way,’” Cords said.

Denn said the oozing trash cart was slogging along so slowly at one point that he offered Day some advice.

“I said, ‘Dude, just slime them or something. They’ll move.’”

The fair recycles 3.5 times the amount of material it throws away.

In 2008 the fair generated 1,008 tons of solid waste, which was recycled into 3,508 tons of material.

Grease from the fair is recycled into biodiesel fuel, and recycled protein and fat from meat scraps are used in animal feed, cosmetics and soap.

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