Close to 200 Volunteers Participate in PTRF's
2010 Riverkeeper Cup Cleanup Challenge
City of Washington Volunteers Give Their All and Claim
The 2010 Riverkeeper Cup 
Although few in numbers, City of Washington volunteers gave their all and collected a total of 920 pounds of trash from the local waterways. That was enough to win the second annual Riverkeeper Cup Cleanup Challenge.
Close to 200 volunteers in four towns participated on Saturday, April 17 to help give the Tar-Pamlico River and their communities a facelift. Together, more than 2,600 pounds of trash and debris was removed from community waterways and shorelines.
The Cleanup competition began in 2009, when then Washington Mayor Judy Jennette issued the citywide cleanup challenge that was accepted by Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn. Volunteers who participated in the inaugural Riverkeeper Cup Cleanup Challenge removed 2,360 pounds of trash. The competition grew this year with the Cities of Tarboro and Rocky Mount joining in, thanks to the coordinating efforts of Keep America Beautiful for Nash and Edgecombe Counties and many dedicated PTRF volunteers.
Volunteers – including Tarboro Mayor Donald Morris, and Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn, Greenville's mayor – donned their life vests and creek sneakers on April 17 and set out to decide which city could pull more trash from the river, its banks and nearby creeks.
Washington pulled away from the competition and collected 920 pounds of trash. Almost half of the weight was recyclable material. The Washington volunteers cleaned up along portions of the Pamlico River and Runyon, Jacks and Tranters creeks.
It was as a tight race for second place, as only 240 pounds separated the communities. More than 50 volunteers in Greenville collected 680 pounds of trash from the Tar River and Green Mill Run. In Tarboro, 30 volunteers cleaned up 580 pounds from several area ponds, creeks and boat landings located at Bell's Bridge, Shiloh Landing, and Old Sparta. Rocky Mount had the greatest volunteer turnout with more than 70, including the Wesleyan College football team. They collected 440 pounds of trash from the Tar River below the reservoir and along its banks at Sunset Park.
The City of Washington will now receive the Riverkeeper Cup to be proudly displayed in their city hall.
Since 2006, volunteers have now removed more than 7 tons of trash from the river and their communities.
News Coverage:
http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/residents-join-regional-cleanup-18722
http://www.reflector.com/news/volunteers-work-together-spruce-tar-31972
Rocky Mount Telegram: Photos of the Cleanup
2006-2009: Volunteers Do their Part to Clean-up the Tar-Pamlico!
Spring 2008 National River Cleanup