GLIN==> Turn Trash into Art at Adopt-a-Beach? Cleanup

Alliance for the Great Lakes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 23, 2010


Annual Adopt-a-Beach™ Cleanup to Feature Beach Trash Sculpture Contest

It’s a new twist on trash at this year’s annual Adopt-a-Beach™ Event May 1-15, as participants are encouraged to transform trash into shoreline statues for the Alliance’s new “Shore Thing” sculpture contest.

Volunteers may submit up to three photos of their entries, which must be composed of exclusively “found” materials on the beach, by May 21. 

Three winners will be announced at the Alliance’s annual Taste of the Great Lakes Event on June 17 in Chicago.  Throughout the cleanup, participants are encouraged to share photos of their sculptures on the Alliance’s Facebook page.

“If one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, then Great Lakes beaches will soon be dotted with some real gems,” said Jamie Cross, acting manager of the Adopt-a-Beach™ program. “This is a fun way to engage our adopters -- and a fresh way to showcase to the public the variety of things that end up on our beaches.”

Now in its eighth year, the Alliance’s year-round Adopt-a-Beach™ program continues to grow, with more than 9,000 volunteers in five states monitoring beaches on four out of five Great Lakes.  Newly released data show that volunteers cleaned beaches in 245 locations last year, with some 30,468 pounds of trash collected and hauled away by 320 different cleanup groups.

This year’s spring kickoff event launches Saturday, May 1, with cleanups occurring along Great Lakes shorelines and tributaries in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Adopters agree to visit their chosen stretch of shoreline several times a year to pick up debris, record findings and monitor beach health conditions. Participants enter their findings into a regional database the Alliance uses to spot trends and educate the public about beach health and policy changes needed to further protect Great Lakes shorelines. 

Beach adoption is easy and is for everyone. Groups can e-mail the Alliance to sign up for their preferred beach online at adoptabeach at greatlakes.org. 

For a state-by-state breakdown of numbers and types of trash collected in 2009, see http://greatlakes.org/adoptabeach2009results

“Shore Thing” sculpture contest rules can be seen here: http://greatlakes.org/ShoreThing

Contacts: Alliance Adopt-a-Beach™ state outreach coordinators

Illinois/Indiana: Frances Canonizado, fcanonizado at greatlakes.org, or call 312-939-0838 x227.
Michigan: Jamie Cross, jcross at greatlakes.org or call 616-850-0745. 
Ohio: April Mather, amather at greatlakes.org or call 216-630-8140.
Wisconsin: Todd Brennan, tbrennan at greatlakes.org or call 414-559-0317.


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Formed in 1970, the Alliance for the Great Lakes (formerly the Lake Michigan Federation) is the oldest Great Lakes citizens’ organization in North America. Our mission is to: conserve and restore the world's largest freshwater resource using policy, education and local efforts, ensuring a healthy Great Lakes and clean water for generations of people and wildlife. More about the Alliance for the Great Lakes is online at www.greatlakes.org



Susan Campbell
Communications Manager
Alliance for the Great Lakes
414-540-0699
Visit http://www.greatlakes.org



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