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San Diego County, CA – Much of San Diego County is cleaner today after over 5,500 volunteers, including over 1,500 scouts, woke up early to do more with their morning at the annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of this unique cleanup event, 88 different locations that spanned the entire county are now healthier and more enjoyable thanks to the hard work of these dedicated San Diego residents.
As part of their 100th anniversary celebration, Girl Scouts San Diego came out in full force to lend a hand to their local environment by picking up trash at various locations around the county. Scouts received a special ‘cleanup’ patch for participating.
More than 100,000 pounds of trash and debris were picked up from local creeks, canyons, parks, bays and beaches this morning. Cigarette butts and plastic bags were again the most common items picked up in most areas, but there were also a few unique items found by volunteers. This year’s unusual items include: a rocking horse, bowling pin, and five gallon bucket of pickles.
A longtime supporter of the Creek to Bay Cleanup, Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, had this to say about today’s event: “I Love a Clean San Diego is a true partner in protecting the environment,” Supervisor Slater-Price said. “Through the years, their Creek to Bay Cleanup events have removed tons of trash from local watersheds, which makes life better for everybody.”
While the Creek to Bay Cleanup’s main focus is removing trash, volunteers also helped with other beautification projects including graffiti removal, mural painting, native planting, brush maintenance and general park maintenance activities. The goal of the event is to empower San Diegans to take an active role in preserving the local environment, showing them that they can make a difference in the health of their community.
ILACSD’s Executive Director, Pauline Martinson, says, “It is amazing to see this event grow each year as more and more San Diego residents take initiative to care for the areas of our community that need a little love. Partnerships with local businesses and groups like the Girl Scouts are vital as we continue our focus on expanding our cleanups and environmental programs to all areas of San Diego County.”
New at this year’s event, ILACSD and Sony are hosting a Volunteers In Action photo contest. Volunteers can submit their best picture from this morning to
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by May 4, 2012. The top three pictures will be posted to the ILACSD Facebook page for fans to vote. The winner will be announced on May 18, 2012 and will receive a new Sony Cyber-Shot camera!
For volunteers who missed today’s Creek to Bay Cleanup, I Love A Clean San Diego coordinates cleanup events each month, as well as ongoing volunteer programs including the Adopt-A-Beach program. Upcoming volunteer opportunities are listed online at www.cleansd.org. |
