Greenfield, MA –As lead sponsors of the 19th annual Source to Sea Cleanup, NRG’s Middletown Generating Station, Pratt & Whitney, and TransCanada are partnering to challenge businesses throughout the CT River basin to support cleaner rivers. Businesses can get involved by having employees join a cleanup group near them or contribute to the effort in other ways – cash donations or donations of cleanup supplies. Organized by the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRC), the Source to Sea Cleanup is a two-day trash clean-up event in all four states of the 410+ mile Connecticut River watershed (NH, VT, MA, CT). All are welcome to join this collaborative river cleanup effort on Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26. Learn more and find a group to join at ctriver.org/cleanup.
Stephen Cobbe, manager of NRG’s Middletown Station, says “We’re pleased to sponsor and support this event annually, but our people are also committed to volunteering to actually clean up the River—and they enjoy it. This is the community where we live and work, and it’s important to us.”
“TransCanada believes in partnering with organizations that help build stronger communities,” says Jasmin Bertovic, Vice President, Eastern Commercial Region, TransCanada. “Partnering with Source to Sea Cleanup is a great opportunity for TransCanada and we value the work they do in ensuring the river stays clean.”
“Pratt & Whitney is proud to support environmental initiatives in the areas where our employees work and live,” said Pratt & Whitney Environment, Health & Safety Vice President Mary Anne Cannon. “Partnering with Source to Sea Cleanup is another example of our company’s long-standing commitment to helping preserve the environment through sustainable products, operations and initiatives.”
“It’s a growing trend for companies to support their employees in volunteering to help their communities,” notes CRC Executive Director Andrew Fisk. “We’re honored that last year 25 companies chose to spend their time cleaning up our rivers.” A number of company employee groups are joining the many families, school and community groups, river organizations and Scout troops that participate in the Source to Sea Cleanup every year as partners for cleaner rivers.
Among the companies already stepping up to accept this challenge by organizing cleanup groups are: NRG (lead sponsor), Pratt & Whitney (lead sponsor), Alfred Benesch & Company, All American Waste, CDM Smith, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Covanta Energy, Fuss & O’Neill, Hypertherm, Ibex, King Arthur Flour, Kleinfelder, Leinenkugel Brewing Co., The Metropolitan District, Milone & MacBroom, Inc., PeoplesBank, Ricoh USA, United Water, and USA Hauling & Recycling.
A number of companies are also supporting the Cleanup through in-kind donations of goods or services, including Zoar Outdoor who is donating all their used zip-lining gloves to be reused for the trash cleanup. Other supporters are: Aerial Adventure Park at Jiminy Peak, Adventure Park at Storrs, Aubuchon Hardware, Billings Farm and Museum, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Cabelas, Confluence Outdoor, Connecticut Science Center, Dan and Whit’s General Store, Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, Mount Washington Resort, North Country Lodge and Cabins, Outdoor Ventures, Shop-Rite, and South Hadley’s Tower Theaters.
Whether or not your company has a formal volunteer program, you are invited to join the Source to Sea Cleanup. Sign up online at ctriver.org/cleanup or call 860-704-0057 to see how you can get involved.
The Connecticut River Watershed Council works to protect the watershed from source to sea. As stewards of this heritage, we celebrate our four-state treasure and collaborate, educate, organize, restore and intervene to preserve its health for generations to come. Our work informs our vision of economic and ecological abundance. To learn more about CRC, or to join the effort and help protect our rivers, visit ctriver.org.
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