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Press release: for immediate release

12th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup: Dozens of dirtied groups to return

Greenfield, MA. August 8, 2008. Mark your calendars, set out your grubbiest clothes, and tell your friends to save Saturday, October 4 for a day of true grit and fun helping out on the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s 12th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup Individuals, scouts, businesses, school groups, and helpers of all stripes are sought for New England’s largest river cleanup event, encompassing river banks and tributary sites along the 410-mile Connecticut River from Pittsburg, New Hampshire, to Old Saybrook, Connecticut. New and returning volunteers are asked to register with CRC by Friday, September 5.

In 2007, over sixty groups and two thousand individuals pitched in to clear 50 tons of trash from the banks of New England’s great river system. That trash haul kept mountains of debris and buckets of unsavory pollutants from reaching local water sources, swimming holes, boating and recreation areas, and river currents that stretch from near the Quebec border all the way to Long Island Sound. “Last fall an amazing collection of volunteers hauled everything form used motor oil and vacuum cleaners, to 594 illegally dumped tires, 12 car batteries, and 26 refrigerators and stoves away from the shores of our cherished rivers,” says Christine Luis-Schultz, Outreach Director and Cleanup Coordinator for CRC, “We’re hoping for an even bigger turn out on October 4.”

According to Luis-Schultz, last fall’s effort saw a reduction in the number of tires removed by volunteers for the first time in the Cleanup’s history, “We’re making a difference. Linking people in this four-state community effort helps raise people’s awareness. Source to Sea brings a sense of accomplishment and stewardship of our precious water resources that few events can.” This year the Cleanup will likely reach a couple of new milestones: 10,000 people from across four states will have volunteered for the river’s signature fall event (the current tally stands at 9,500); and the number of tires collected will likely surpass 3,000 overall. Stacked-up, they would dwarf the world’s tallest building, the Taipei 101 Tower, and reach ½ mile into the air.

To become a volunteer, a sponsor, get more information, or be referred to a Source to Sea Cleanup team in your area, please visit ctriver.org or contact Christine Luis-Schultz at: (413) 772-2020, ext 201, email: cleanup@ctriver.org. A full tally of last year’s Cleanup and participating groups is also available on the CRC web site.

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For press information contact: Chelsea Gwyther, Executive Director, CRC, at: (413) 772-2020, ext. 202, or cgwyther@ctriver.org ; or Christine Luis-Schultz, Cleanup Coordinator, CRC, at (413) 772-2020, ext. 201; or cluis-schultz@ctriver.org.