2009 Riverkeeper Cup Challenge:
Annual Spring River Cleanup
Washington vs. Greenville
Call it the triumph of the freezer floaters – a valiant effort by volunteers in Greenville on Saturday helped their town win the inaugural Riverkeeper Cup Challenge, sponsored by Physicians East, while tackling pollution in local waterways.
The competition began with a river cleanup challenge issued by Washington Mayor Judy Jennette and accepted by Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn, and it helped raise the spirit of volunteerism for the two communities.
Volunteers – including both mayors – put on their life vests and creek sneakers on April 18 and set out to decide which city could pull more trash from the river, its banks and nearby creeks.
It was a close competition, but Greenville pulled ahead when volunteers floated a large chest freezer out of the river. Volunteers estimated the freezer weighed close to 300 pounds partly due to it being water-logged. Kayakers followed behind volunteers in a jon-boat that towed the freezer to Port Terminal, collecting insulation that was coming from the freezer.
Volunteers in Greenville collected 1,220 pounds of trash from the Tar River and Green Mill Run. Washington was a very close second, collecting 1,140 pounds from the Pamlico River and Runyon, Jacks and Tranters creeks. Washington won an honorable mention award for having the most volunteers participate.
Washington turned out 29 volunteers and Greenville 26. Together, the 55 volunteers removed a total of 2,360 pounds of trash from area waters.
The challenge was organized by the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation, and Greenville will now receive the Riverkeeper Cup to be proudly displayed in their city hall. "We couldn’t' be more pleased with the results. The volunteers gave up half of a beautiful Saturday to help cleanup their communities and our waterways," stated Pamlico-Tar RIVERKEEPER Heather Jacobs Deck.
Participants from local groups and organizations included, Girl Scout Troop 74, Beaufort County Community College, ECU Eco- Pirates and the youth group of the First United Methodist Church in Washington.
Since 2006, volunteers have now removed almost 4 tons of trash from the river and their communities.
2006-2008: Volunteers Do their Part to Clean-up the Tar-Pamlico!
Spring 2008 National River Cleanup