In the dead of Winter, her truck nicknamed “Maroonie” immediately attracts attention. There’s a kayak strapped down on the truck bed, and signs on the truck that say, “A cleaner Kentucky.”
Whitney Lewis pulls her maroon, 1998 Ford pickup truck into a boat ramp area at Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County.
It’s an unusually warm January day of 50 degrees sandwiched between days of more chilly weather. Ideal for Lewis as she prepares her kayak for the water with a couple of large bags.
“Rope and headlamps and dry clothes and first aid kit. There’s a lot of stuff in here. You just never know what might happen when you’re out there so try to come prepared.”
Lewis puts on a life jacket and adjusts her paddle as she pushes the kayak into the water. She’s dressed in a pink winter coat, blue jeans, and knee-high mud boots. Lewis paddles for a few minutes before pulling up to the bank and tying up. She’s on a mission to pick up litter scattered in the nearby woods. It all began last April when she did a Facebook challenge.