by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
A race for trash. Or, more specifically, a race to see who can pick up the most amount of trash in the fastest period of time.
That, in a few words, is the Gambler 500.
The event, held each year in Washington State’s Olympic National Forest, draws more than a hundred people — piloting cheap, ugly, modified, almost broken-down vehicles. All in the name of doing good in nature.
Basically, garbage vehicles hauling out garbage.
This year’s race included teams from Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon. There isn’t a fee to enter the race, but handing over $20 to organizers on race day gets drivers a waypoint map and helps pay for camping fees and portable toilets.
The object, overall, is to gather as much refuse as possible, and then make it to a pre-determined campsite where all participants will stay overnight. The gamble is whether a driver will actually make it to the campsite.
This year, the group procured a Quadratec ’50-for-50 Trail Stewardship Initiative Grant and utilized it to assist participants during the clean-up race.
In all, 150 volunteers removed 13,000 pounds of trash from popular camping areas, trails and roads in the eastern section of the forest — making it the largest 50-for-50 event to date.
“The Gambler 500 has always been simple and grassroots. Go out and find trash that’s been left on our public lands,” said Gambler 500 Race Leader Tevya Friedman. “We’ve made cleaning up our forests competitive and have created a culture that puts stewardship at the forefront. With the help of Tread Lightly! and the 50 for 50 program we were able to make this year’s Olympic National Forest Sasquatch run the biggest trash haul in the event's history.
”We are extremely grateful to team up with an organization that values the great outdoors as much as we do and look forward to the next opportunity.”
This Gambler 500 Sasquatch Run cleanup project was the 9th of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state by April 2024.
So far, through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 4,516 volunteer hours with a total value of $134,672, pulled away 78,155 pounds of trash and improved 452 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Recommended Reading:
Quadratec, Tread Lightly! ’50-For-50’ Public Land Cleanup — Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Quadratec's 50 State, 50 Trail Stewardship Initiative Reaches Halfway Mark
