WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR SPOTLIGHT FOR FEBRUARY!!!!! MR. DOC WILCOX
When I spoke with Doc about the possibility of Spotlighting him he was humbled and honored. I know that Doc inspired me, and hope he inspires you too! Doc has lived in Lake Land’or for the past 11+ years.
He has been married to his beautiful wife for 22 years. They have 2 daughters and 4 wonderful grandchildren. Not only does Doc work 2 jobs, but he also finds time to lift up others while making his community beautiful. You see practically every morning Doc starts his day before the crack of dawn.
This started years ago when he would take his dog, Zeke, for a walk he would notice a little trash here and there. Doc thought someone should do something about it, and so he did! He started to carry a trash bag with him to pick up the stray pieces of trash. Everyday Doc weighs the trash he collects and on average it’s about 26 lbs a day!!!
In 2020 Doc picked up 4.2 TONS of trash, and walked 3,200 miles doing so, he even picked up a wicker sofa! Doc says, “there are other people out there, I’m not the only one.” He walks with his trusty sidekick Bindi,, a 1 ½-year-old Australian Shepherd. The pair walk approximately 7 miles a day picking up trash in Lake Land’or and on Ladysmith road from Rt.1 to County Line Baptist Church.
While walking and picking up trash Doc also takes between 20-70 beautiful pictures of nature, the sunrise, and anything else that catches his eye and shares them with those in his community for no other reason but to brighten their day. Doc says, “the more you reach out, the more people reach back.” Doc has seen this with people that pass him while he is collecting trash. He said that people slow down and move over on the road to make room for him, so he started waving and making eye contact with them and they have returned the kindness.
Those waves have created smiles and friendships. Even the law enforcement will flash their lights, or hit their sirens to say hello. Doc says, “as a community, we are interacting in a positive way.” Coretta Scott King said, ”The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” Doc believes that his kindness has helped friendships develop, and creates a wonderful feeling of community, a great place to be!
Last year during the pandemic Doc noticed an increase of litter on the sides of the road. He attributes that to people eating more in their cars because restaurant dining areas are closed. He said that it’s easy when you see one McDonald’s cup on the side of the road to think that it’s ok to toss your cup out to join it.
Doc says that sometimes debris on the roadside is an indication of debris on the inside, 2020 was a difficult year, people are hurting and times are tough. “When you inspire people and put a smile on their face, it helps their day,” I asked Doc what inspires him to do so much good….he said his parents always encouraged him in a positive and loving way. Doc is also spiritually motivated, but he realizes not everyone believes as he does. Doc said if you can believe in one thing, believe in yourself.
Thank you Doc Wilcox for making our community beautiful, thank you for taking the time to lift us all up, and we hope that we will all follow your lead. We also would like to thank the anonymous member of our community that identified Doc Wilcox as someone who does so much good in his community.
If there is someone in the community you would like to spotlight please reach out to kiley@liftupyourcommunity.com or give us a call at (804)867-5557. We look forward to hearing from you! For more information about #liftupyourcommunity and how you can get involved please visit www.liftupyourcommunity.com.