Riverkeeper Sweep Expands to More than 60 Shoreline Cleanups
March 27, 2013
Riverkeeper Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Online volunteer registration opens for 2nd annual day of service for the Hudson, Sat., May 11, 2013
Ossining, NY – March 26, 2013 -- The 2nd annual Riverkeeper Sweep, a day of service for the Hudson River, will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2013 throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley.
The event features more than 60 volunteer-led shoreline cleanups, tree plantings and other projects, including 15 in New York City and northern New Jersey, 19 in the lower Hudson Valley, 21 in the Mid-Hudson Valley and six in the upper Hudson Valley.
Paul Gallay, President and Hudson Riverkeeper, said: “The Riverkeeper Sweep empowers hundreds of volunteers to clean the water—a powerful example of citizen action addressing the real challenges facing our great river. The Sweep reminds us that it takes public action as well as citizen groups like Riverkeeper and our partners to protect and restore the Hudson.”
Members of the public are encouraged to visit www.riverkeeper.org/sweep to learn about local cleanups, and to register to volunteer on Saturday, May 11. Registered volunteers will be rewarded for their service with a chance to win raffle prizes, and with invitations to meetups at seven breweries.
In 2012, the inaugural event engaged 450 volunteers in 30 communities, removing seven tons of trash and planting more than 100 trees. This year Riverkeeper expects the impact of the Sweep to double, with as many as 1,000 volunteers in more than 60 locations, in part due to partnerships with the Great Saw Mill River Cleanup (a project of Groundwork Hudson Valley), Jennifer's Annual Flushing Bay Shore Line Clean Up (a project of the Empire Dragon Boat Team), Make Poughkeepsie Shine (a project of the Poughkeepsie Common Council) and the Great American Cleanup (a project of Keep Rockland Beautiful).
The Riverkeeper Sweep is a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event, presented nationally by Toyota. (Riverkeeper is a founding member of the Waterkeeper Alliance.) Riverkeeper is grateful to recognize sponsors from throughout the region that include Joe and Daryl Boren, The Durst Organization, Paragon Sports, Sprout Watches, Whole Foods Market, Pleasant Valley Stone, Mother Earth’s Storehouse, New York Kayak Company, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? New City, Metal Container Corp. (a unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev), Sea Tow Central Hudson.
In addition, the Riverkeeper Sweep is made possible through cooperative partnerships with dozens of municipalities, state agencies, clubs, organizations, scout groups, businesses and individuals who help to organize individual events. We are pleased to partner with TerraCycle, which will provide waste collection for some of the hard-to-recycle materials collected during the Sweep; and Green Guru Network, a media sponsor. Information about local partnerships and participants is available on request.
Related campaigns
Riverkeeper Sweep campaign
Cleaning up shorelines along the Hudson River and its tributaries
Protecting and restoring habitats
The Hudson River watershed is home to a breathtaking diversity of life. Protecting and restoring our aquatic habitats is critical for their renewal and for a healthy future for all life in the watershed