The first cleanup of the Hobolochitto Creek of this year is scheduled and members of Friends of Boley are hard at work preparing for the event.

On May 7, group members and community volunteers can gather at Long Bridge on Beech Street to help clean up the creek by removing trash and debris.

However, before the event kicks off, board members of the Friends of Boley need to work out a couple of logistical problems, such as securing portable lavatories, taking a helicopter tour before hand to chart the worst areas and acquiring some canoes.

Friends of Boley is seeking donations of old canoes, kayaks or other small water craft for this event and future ones, said Friends Secretary John Huck. He said the group also would appreciate the loan of a canoe or other small vessel from anyone who would like to participate but can’t be there on May 7 for one reason or another.

They hope to collect about 10 canoes or other vessels for the ongoing clean-up project, and are open to monetary donations that can be used to purchase new or used canoes, kayaks or other small water craft. The group would like to acquire at least 10 small vessels to be used in cleaning up Boley Creek.

Vice president Derek Turnage said the group will even take used boats with minor damage that could be repaired.

“It might be somebody else’s eyesore, but we could take them and refurbish them,” Turnage said.

Huck said there is still a lot of trash in the creek, even after the cleanup that took place last year, so the focus again will be on the five-mile stretch of creek between Long Bridge and Burnt Bridge.

This time, the clean-up crews will not have access to Wise Landing as they did last time, said vice president Derek Turnage. Huck said that may prompt more people to clean up along the whole creek route, rather than leaving the creek at Wise Landing as some volunteers did last year.

Turnage said last year’s cleanup involved a number of obstacles, which have since been removed. Those obstacles fatigued a number of volunteers.

“They were wore out when they got to Wise Landing, that’s why they were getting out there,” Turnage said.

Breakfast will be provided by Coast Electric, and the Home Builders Association will bring lunch, said president Keith Kingrey. Also, a number of boxes of Glad Force Flex garbage bags already have been donated by Glad for the effort, Kingrey said.

Board members will have another meeting next week to hash out more details.