“Paint the Town Purple is to give back to the community, because the community is constantly giving to us,” said Gateway to Discovery Program Coordinator Lyndsey Rholl. “The community in Fort Dodge is very giving and they absolutely adore what we’re doing here at Gateway. They’re super passionate about helping our women, and we wanted to give back in some way.”

Gateway to Discovery is a faith-based residential recovery program for women struggling with addiction.

When brainstorming ideas on ways to give back a few years ago, Rholl said, they decided what’s better than dedicating an entire week to beautifying Fort Dodge. They also decided to name the initiative for the color of ribbons for people in recovery from addictions — purple.

The first Paint the Town Purple event was organized in 2015 by staff and residents of Gateway. After a few years of hiatus, they decided to bring it back in June 2022.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Erin Davis and Randy Hoover make their way down 14th Street Southwest on Wednesday afternoon while picking up trash as part of Gateway to Discovery's annual Paint the Town Purple.

“Our primary focus for the last two years has been on Pleasant Valley,” Rholl said. “A lot of trash seems to end up down in the valley and that’s the place that needs it the most.”

Each year, Gateway invites community groups and individuals to join in the cleanup. So far this week, Rholl said, there have been about 21 volunteers who have joined.

“I think it’s awesome to have the community’s support and know that not all negative things happen in Fort Dodge, there’s some positive stuff too,” she said. “We just need to focus on the positive.”

About a dozen volunteers showed up to help on Wednesday morning, Rholl said.

“I didn’t know if I’d have enough work for all of us because I wasn’t planning on people showing up,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Gateway to Discovery Program Coordinator Lyndsey Rholl holds open a trash bag for Robin Hoover on Wednesday afternoon. Rholl, Hoover and other volunteers were cleaning up garbage and other debris from the area near 14th Street Southwest and 10th Avenue Southwest for Gateway's annual Paint the Town Purple cleanup event.

In the last three days, the group has collected 30 large trash bags full of trash and debris. They’ve also pulled out tires, furniture and a mattress.

“And lots of Barbies and toys,” Rholl said.

Erin Davis, a Gateway resident, said she enjoys the group’s cleanup projects.

“It’s a really good feeling,” she said. “I love it.”

Davis was a resident at the YWCA during last summer’s Paint the Town Purple event and was part of a group from the YWCA who came out to help with the cleanup.

The turnout of volunteers has increased from last year, Rholl said.

“I feel like it gets better and better every year,” Rholl said. “It’s like therapy, picking up trash. And it’s just nice to give back to Fort Dodge in any way we can.”

The cleanup will continue through Friday and Rholl welcomes more volunteers to help out. Today, they’ll be focusing on the areas along Meriwether Drive from 8 to 11:45 a.m. and from 1:15 to 3:30 p.m.

On Friday, there will be two cleanup locations between 9-11:45 a.m. One team will be at 1606 Triton Drive (volunteers are asked to park along the road between Kwik Star and Sleep Inn) and the second team will be at Oleson Park.

“Our goal at Gateway is just to give back as much as we possibly can and volunteer as much as we can to let the community know how grateful we are,” Rholl said. “We wouldn’t be able to run Gateway without the community.”