GALESBURG, Ill. — A Galesburg man has become somewhat of a local celebrity for doing one simple action. Two to three times a week for the past couple of years, Ryan Crane walks 5 miles and picks up trash throughout his hometown. He's become one of the most popular people in Galesburg, constantly being stopped and honked at during his walk.
"Typically I walk the same route every week, and every week there's the same amount of trash, if not more," Crane said. "Summer is usually worse because there are just more people out."
Ryan says his route takes him about two hours depending on how many people stop him.
"I just hope that maybe one day people see me and they think oh, maybe I shouldn't dump my trash on the ground because there's this guy out here picking up trash," Crane said.
Crane's close friend Tyler Dykmean says helping out has always been part of the community cleaner's personality.
"I think it goes way beyond the trash picking up," Dykmean said. "To me, it's more about spreading that positive energy. Positivity is contagious"
There's even a Facebook page dedicated to spotting Crane, with over 1,200 followers. It's called 'Where's Ryan Crane,' and is a spin off of 'Where's Waldo."