It's not all about hearts and chocolates — Clearfield holds unorthodox Valentine's Day fundraiser

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CLEARFIELD — Valentine's Day isn't a lovey-dovey day of chocolates, roses and romantic dinners for everybody.

Perhaps mindful not everyone's in the mood for love come Feb. 14, Clearfield is holding an unorthodox fundraiser. Next Wednesday, Valentine's Day, the city will toss pieces of paper with the names of loathed exes down the sewer at $5 a pop to benefit the Clearfield Youth Commission, tapping the Clearfield Public Works Department for help.

Shaundra Rushton, Clearfield communications manager, said zoos have had similar fundraisers, feeding animals scraps of apparently edible paper with the names of scorned exes written on them. "Why not public works? Cities can have fun too," Rushton said.

The city carried out a similar campaign last year, generating $100 for the youth commission, an appointed body made up of teens that's meant to give them insight into the workings of local government. This year the price to participate was cut in half and Rushton hopes the effort generates more participation and more money for the commission.

Most take the offbeat fundraiser in stride. The post on the city's Facebook page announcing the effort reads, in part, "We'll throw your piece of (poop emoji) ex back in the sewer where they belong!"

Respondents to the post, most anyway, played along. "I'm all for this you guys but I'm really afraid that my ex's name would clog up the entire Clearfield sewage system," wrote one.

"You can throw toxic waste in there?" wrote another.

One respondent, though — from a troll account, Rushton maintains — took umbrage. "HOW low class is government?" the poster wrote, in part. "Wasting time and tax dollars to push hate culture. Petty revenge culture."

That was the only negative response, Rushton adds. "They understand it's satire ... Every one of our residents who has replied seemed to like it," she said.

The culmination of the effort will come Wednesday, when the pieces of paper containing the names will be tossed down an open manhole, with a camera on hand to document the occasion. The paper quickly dissolves in water so it won't wreak havoc at the wastewater treatment plant.

The youth commission, incidentally, is also holding a more traditional Valentine's Day fundraiser, selling baked goods and flowers.