(03/13/19) - A new challenge is going viral on social media, and it has people cleaning up the environment.
Gateway Bay City is a Facebook page that publishes positive stories from Bay City and the Bay County area. Last week, the page manager started a contest, encouraging members to participate in the #TrashTag Challenge, the internet's newest viral challenge.
"You can be one person or have a team of people that take a picture of a blighted area as it stands today and then they clean it up, and they submit an after, so it's a before and after situation," Dana Muscott said. Muscott is the City Manager of Bay City.
The Gateway Bay City page manager is donating $100 to the most-viewed photo, and an anonymous donor submitted an additional $100 prize. For parks foreman, Bryan King, and his crew of two or three workers, it takes a full eight hours to do a complete run of the entire recreational system. With the extra help, he feels he's won a prize already.
"The help that we get from the public is essential to our success, and I love it. I think it's a great idea. The more, the merrier. They really are effective, and if you are out participating in this and you've got bags that need to be collected, I would encourage you to call our office," King said.
The #TrashTag Challenge is not only spreading, but it's also bringing the community together.
"It goes back to community involvement. It's people making it their own and taking pride in their community. We can't have the nice areas that we have without everyone working together because obviously I can't do it with just three guys," King said.
Gateway Bay City will be accepting submissions all the way through March 31, and then posting photos shortly after to figure out who the winner will be.