GLIN==> RELEASE: As Tall Ships Arrive in Cleveland, Eyes Turn to the Health of the Great Lakes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
July 7, 2010

** Great Lakes United *** Shedd Aquarium **

** Northeast Ohio Watershed Council *** Ohio Environmental Council **

As Tall Ships Arrive in Cleveland, Eyes Turn to the Health of the  
Great Lakes

Groups from across Ohio and the region will be showcasing the need  
for protecting these waters at the Cleveland Tall Ships Festival


As a fleet of tall ships arrive at the 2010 Cleveland Tall Ships  
Festival (presented by the Cleveland Rotary Club), Great Lakes  
United, Shedd Aquarium, the Northeast Ohio Watershed Council, and the  
Ohio Environmental Council will be at the festival talking to the  
public about critical issues facing the lakes like water use, and the  
threat of the Asian carp.

“We are excited to get people out to the waterfronts to see these  
magnificent ships and engage with them in a conversation about the  
Great Lakes,” said Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes  
United. “40 million people rely on the lakes for their drinking  
water, and we want to help educate people about what we can do  
together to protect these waters for generations to come.”

Cleveland is the second stop in the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS  
CHALLENGE® 2010, a port-to-port race sailing across the world’s  
largest source of fresh surface water.  As the vessels race from port  
to port, they will help carry a message of water conservation and  
preservation to the millions of people who will travel to see the  
tall ships.
“The Tall Ships Festival gives us in Northeast Ohio another  
opportunity to enjoy our Great Lake.  It also reminds us what a  
unique and important asset Lake Erie is for Cleveland, its economy,  
environment, recreational opportunities, and of course as our primary  
source of drinking water,” said Dave Lincheck, Director of West Creek  
Preservation Committee and Co-Chair of Northeast Ohio Watershed  
Council. “We can all help protect the lake by using water wisely in  
our homes and businesses, by learning how our activities on land  
impact our water, and by protecting our streams, creeks, and rivers  
as they flow through our communities on their way to Lake Erie.”

“Lake Erie does so much for us, that’s why we need to take care of  
it,” said Kristy Meyer, Director of Agricultural and Clean Water  
Programs for the Ohio Environmental Council.  “It’s a source of  
drinking water, jobs, recreation, and wildlife habitat.  The arrival  
of the tall ships reminds us of the importance of our Great Lake and  
our responsibility to protect and restore this majestic water body.”

One of the highlights of the festival will be the Great Lakes United  
Green Village.. The Green Village brings together a host of  
environmental and conservation groups, green businesses, and others,  
to showcase the importance of water to our way of being, and how  
people can make choices that offer a lighter footprint on our natural  
world and resources. From interactive displays to presentations, the  
village focuses on sparking the imagination and showing people how  
they can help ensure a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem.

“The Great Lakes are amazing bodies of water that deserve to be  
celebrated and protected,” said Melanie Napoleon, director of Great  
Lakes conservation at Shedd Aquarium.  “Each person who visits the  
festival will learn something new about the largest freshwater  
sailing vessels, the majestic Great Lakes and what they can do at  
home to make a difference.”
The fleet of visiting ships will be open for dockside deck tours  
daily, starting July 8. Boarding Passes must be purchased to gain  
access to the festival and to the ship decks. For more information  
about the festival and purchasing tickets, please visit http:// 
www.clevelandtallships.com/Home.aspx.

The Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE 2010® is supported, in  
part, by the George Gund Foundation. It was created in 1952 to  
contribute to human well-being and the progress of society. Over the  
years, program objectives and emphases have been modified to meet the  
changing opportunities and problems of our society, but the  
Foundation’s basic goal of advancing human welfare remains constant.

More information on the Tall Ships festivals can be obtained at  
www.glu.org/tallships.

Contacts:

Brent Gibson
Great Lakes United
613-867-9861
bgibson at glu.org

Dave Lincheck
Northeast Ohio Watershed Council
440-915-2945
dlincheck at westcreek.org

Kristy Meyer
Ohio Environmental Council
614-487-5842
Kristy at theOEC.org

Elizabeth Latenser
Shedd Aquarium
312-692-3364
elatenser at sheddaquarium.org



__________________________________
Lauren Cheal
Communications Assistant
Great Lakes United

613-482-1324 ext 507
lcheal at glu.org | www.glu.org


Join our mailing list: www.glu.org/en/mailinglist Racing to protect the
Great Lakes: www.glu.org/en/tallships

Represented by UAW Local 55

__________________________________
Lauren Cheal
Communications Assistant
Great Lakes United

613-482-1324 ext 507
lcheal at glu.org | www.glu.org


Join our mailing list: www.glu.org/en/mailinglist Racing to protect the
Great Lakes: www.glu.org/en/tallships

Represented by UAW Local 55


__________________________________
Great Lakes United
glu at glu.org | www.glu.org


Join our mailing list: www.glu.org/en/mailinglist

Racing to protect the
Great Lakes: www.glu.org/en/tallships

Represented by UAW Local 55




__________________________________
Lauren Cheal
Communications Assistant
Great Lakes United

613-482-1324 ext 507
lcheal at glu.org | www.glu.org


Join our mailing list: www.glu.org/en/mailinglist Racing to protect the
Great Lakes: www.glu.org/en/tallships

Represented by UAW Local 55


__________________________________
Lauren Cheal
Communications Assistant
Great Lakes United

613-482-1324 ext 507
lcheal at glu.org | www.glu.org


Join our mailing list: www.glu.org/en/mailinglist Racing to protect the
Great Lakes: www.glu.org/en/tallships

Represented by UAW Local 55

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