Cars, trucks, golf carts and bicycles were lined up by At 6:45 a.m., front to tail bumper, on Sunland Drive to Aqua Fria Drive as far south as Meade Drive as part of the Sun City Posse’s Take-Back Drug Initiative and shred-a-thon.
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Cars, trucks, golf carts and bicycles were lined up by At 6:45 a.m., front to tail bumper, on Sunland Drive to Aqua Fria Drive as far south as Meade Drive as part of the Sun City Posse’s Take-Back Drug Initiative and shred-a-thon.
The event didn’t start until 9 a.m. But there were no complaints from those waiting in line, according to Marc Fuller, Posse commander.
This is the first year the Posse conducted the drug and paper collection event since the COVID-19 pandemic began and Sun City residents were ready and eager to get rid of all of those items that had been building up for nearly two years, including unused drugs. More than 300 Sun City residents passed though the Posse grounds to deliver shredding material and drugs — a record amount.
Medications in the home are a leading cause of accidental poisoning and throwing unused drugs in the trash or flushing them down the drain is both dangerous and harmful to the environment
Before the pandemic, Sun City residents had dropped off thousands of bottles of unused and out-of-date drugs. This year, enough drugs were collected to fill 11 cardboard cartons weighing more than 300 pounds. The collected medicines were sealed and were incinerated by a licensed facility.
Getting rid of receipts and old tax returns also was on the minds of motorists as they patiently waited in the Arizona sun for a Posse member to lift the heavy boxes out of their trunks.
In addition, 30 Posse members who ordinarily patrol the community streets or work in an administrative capacity also were out in force over the weekend to not only collect drugs and lift boxes, but also direct traffic and keep everyone moving in an orderly fashion.
“We have an amazing group of volunteers who do serve above and beyond the call of duty,” Fuller said. “No matter if it is our Take Back Drugs initiative, patrolling our streets or monitoring parking lots at our recreation centers during major events, Posse members are there to help.”
Again this year, the Take-Back-Drugs program was in cooperation with the Maricopa Sheriff’s Office and Sun City Posse’s National Take-Back Initiative. The program is also sponsored by the Arizona Drug Enforcement Agency.
The shred-a-thon was in cooperation with Wes Waddle and Jay Lessard of Sonoran Lending; both attended the event.
Editor’s Note: Diana Graettinger is a Sun City Posse public information officer.
