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NC Big Sweep; Alamance County Waterway Cleanup and Competition Mission Statement: To teach children the importance of protecting our rivers and streams through a once-a-year, hands-on cleanup and year-round education program Objectives and purpose: Big Sweep is a statewide cleanup. In Alamance we offer a competition to encourage volunteer turnout. To win prizes, teams compete to sign up the most volunteers at our many sites throughout the county. Prizes are given to team leaders as well as the school or group coordinators. Volunteers are scored as a percentage of total members in the winning organization. What is the North Carolina Big Sweep? Founded in 1987, we picked up 24,000 pounds of trash mostly from beaches. We have grown to over 14,000 volunteers who last year collected ½ million pounds of litter from all NC waterways. Volunteer coordinators head up the recruitment effort in 100 counties. We are a non-profit organization, with 2 major efforts; a year round effort to teach waterway stewardship and a yearly waterway clean-up the third Saturday, each September. When and where does the clean up take place? This September 15th, from 9-noon, a free Biscuitville breakfast will be given in Saxapahaw between 7:30-8:30 at the community center, then its off to bridges on the Haw River; Hwy 87 at Altamahaw and Ossippee, Hwy 85, Hwy 54, Swepsonville Bridge, and Saxapahaw Bridge. We also have sites at Burlington City Park, Goat Island, Morningside drive, and a boat team on the Haw. What are some of the things you find? In last year’s 280 tons of litter, we found bowling balls, basket balls, tennis balls, MacDonald balls, Every ball sport has been represented except Jai alai. There are crews that have worked at our sites on the Haw River in Alamance county that have pulled out and floated up river on boats, ovens, dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners, engine blocks, radiators, newspaper vending machines, gas tanks, truck cockpits, burned out station wagons. Our most common type of trash are plastic, metal and glass containers, safe for even a 4th grader to pick up. How does my group or school become involved? Call the Coordinator of the site you are interested in and become a team leader or coordinate several teams from your organization. Or you can become a site coordinator, if you feel like a real challenge. Or come out by yourself and clean up your favorite spot. All our site coordinator contact info is at www.HawRiverTrail.org. We will send out rain-date information info thru the web.County Coordinators; Mike and Susan Holland Phone: 336-376-9322 Fax: 336-376-0532 E-mail: dr_mike@mindspring.com |
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