15,000 Volunteers Expected to Participate in Regional “Spring Cleaning” of the Potomac River

(Washington, DC)  As the weather finally warms, thousands of regional residents will come together this spring to clean their neighborhoods as they participate in the 26^th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup on April 5^th. The annual Cleanup is part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s larger Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative, which works to develop and implement solutions to the pervasive problem of trash.  The data gathered from the hundreds sites during cleanups during the month of April is used throughout the year by the Initiative to help track trash hot spots, mark progress, and target policies intended to reduce litter in the region.

What: Since 1989, the Alice Ferguson Foundation has coordinated the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup every April, engaging more than 124,000 volunteers, nearly 500 partner organizations, and removing close to 6.5 million pounds of trash from the Potomac River Watershed. Final results from the 2013 Cleanup include:

• 312 Total Tons Removed (524,000 lbs)
• 14,586 Volunteers
• More than 495 participating groups and partners
• 27,200 Plastic bags, 193,000 Beverage Containers,  27,400 Cigarette Butts, and 1,314 Tires Removed
• 633 Cleanup Sites in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia

Where: Cleanups will be held at hundreds of sites throughout the Potomac Watershed, which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Locate a site here.

When:  The majority of cleanups will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 9:00am-12:00pm.

Who: Thousands of volunteers from around the Watershed, elected officials, community businesses and leaders, NGOs, teachers, and government agency leaders. Some highlighted participants include:

• Councilmember David Grosso, Washington, DC
• Councilmember Muriel Bowser, 4^th Ward, DC
• Delegate Barbara Frush, 21^st District, MD
• Commissioner Candice Quinn Kelly, Charles County, MD
• Commissioner Jack Sims, District Heights, MD
• Councilman Nicholas Scarpelli, Cumberland, MD
• Councilwoman Julie Palakovich Carr, Rockville, MD
• Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak, Frederick, MD
• Senator Adam Ebbin, District 30, VA
• Chairman Mark Sicjkesm 43^rd District, VA
• Delegate David Bulova, 37^th District, VA
• Delegate Alfonso H. Lopez, 49^th District, VA
• Delegate Marcus Simon, 53^rd District, VA
• Delegate Michael Folk, 63^rd District, WV