EUGENE, Ore. – Eugene police got a helping hand on Thursday with improving the aesthetics of the local community as several of the Oregon Ducks football players pitched in to help clean up graffiti around town.
The Eugene Police Department’s all-volunteer Huckleberry Patrol Team welcomed a helpful hand from some of the UO football players to remove graffiti from buildings and public areas. EPD said that five teams met at 13th and Alder Street and then fanned out to achieve their mission, with between 60 to 80 football players showing up to help.
“Being an Oregon duck comes with a lot of opportunities to be involved with the neighborhood, especially in Eugene because it’s such a great town,” said Cole Martin, a UO football player. “Such a great city with lovely people so it gives us a chance for us to experiment.”
The Huckleberry Patrol Team was formed in 2007 to clean up graffiti in downtown Eugene and has removed nearly 30,000 graffiti tags since then, police said. EPD said that, weather permitting, the team operates from April or May through November or December, and volunteers have a minimum three-hour shift every week for their six months of service.
Paint and supplies were donated by Home Depot and Forrest Paint, police officials said. Volunteers for the Huckleberry Patrol must be at least 18 years old and can sign up on the Eugene Police Department’s website.