PRAIRIE CITY – As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another’s treasure.”

That could reflect what’s been going on behind the Co-Gen plant in Prairie City.

A scrap metal collection drive, sponsored by the Greater Prairie City Community Association, continues on weekends through September. Just about all scrap metal, with the exception of campers, trailers and TVs is being accepted.

Nothing is too small, nor too big for the drive. Refrigerators, vehicles…bring it on. There’s even a cattle chute, weighing over a ton, sitting out there.

The proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit HOWDY (Historical Old West, Dimension of Yesteryear Inc.) and Camp Logan. In charge of the drive are HOWDY chairperson Kathy Smith and Camp Logan organizer Dianne Lesniak.

Smith said the groups want to improve the false fronts for the “Dixie Town” buildings and tents, and they also want to add “stunt and gunfight” activities at the annual Camp Logan weekend.

A team of volunteers – from HOWDY, Camp Logan and Prairie City School’s FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) – is helping with the metals drive.

At the check-in table, Smith, assisted by Lyle McGiver, asks drivers where they are from, hands them a tax-deduction form and sends them on down to the awaiting team of volunteers. Smith has kept a log of the number of people donating and where they are from.

Some have traveled from Bates, Monument and Seneca.

Volunteers help unload the metal. One big pile holds assorted metals, while other areas designated for tires, large appliances and vehicles.

Some locals, like Prairie City residents Scott Nunz and Mike Simpson, have joined in to help. Nunz says he dropped off some items to donate one weekend, and decided get involved.

Another Prairie City resident, Bob Peterson, who brought in a truckload of items, was happy to not only help the fundraising efforts, but said that “it’s better than having to pay to take it to the dump.”

The groups are hoping, as they try to “clean up Grant County,” that more people will realize those benefits and bring in any metal they have lying around.

Smith says she’s surprised they don’t have more cars donated so far.

“We had over 100 last time we had the drive, in 2005. This year we have maybe four so far.”

To help out with that, a couple of volunteers have come forward to help transport cars to be donated. There’s also a collection site in Canyon City.

At the end of the drive, the metal will be loaded up and trucked to the Wurdinger Metal Recycling Company in Portland.

Two more weekends are left for the drive: Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 27-28. Times open are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Just follow the signs off Highway 26, just west of Prairie City, to the area behind the Co-Gen plant.

For more information about the groups involved, the drive itself or to make a donation, call Kathy Smith at 820-4597 or Dianne Lesniak at 820-4643.