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NC ZOO NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR 'BIG SWEEP'
BY: Tom GillespieSep. 09, 2008
ASHEBORO, N.C.--The North Carolina Zoo will again coordinate this year’s fall Big Sweep activities in Randolph County on Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. until noon.
Crews of volunteers are scheduled to remove litter from 15 stream sites and watersheds throughout the county, which will include Uwharrie River at Lassiter Mill, Creekside Park in Archdale, the Franklinville Greenway Park, Deep River in Ramseur and Memorial Park in downtown Asheboro. A boating crew will clean portions of the Deep River.
Groups and individuals are invited to participate. All volunteers should wear old shoes that can get wet (no “flip-flops”) and bring gloves when meeting at cleanup sites prior to 10 a.m. Litter bags will be provided, but volunteers should bring drinking water, insect repellent, sunscreen and a hat.
Groups already signed up for the event include the Asheboro Rotary Club, Randolph County 4-H clubs, the Central Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Trees Asheboro and Randolph County Early-College High School students. Others include volunteers from Asheboro High School JROTC, Southwestern Randolph High School, Randleman High School and Eastern Randolph High School. The Asheboro High School Zoo School and a host of other youth and adult service groups have also signed up to join the fall campaign.
Volunteers can get directions to their nearest clean-up site by contacting the North Carolina Zoo at (336) 879-7000 or toll-free at (800) 488-0444.
Businesses supporting the Randolph County Big Sweep include Chick-Fil-A, Biscuitville and the John Plant Company.
North Carolina Big Sweep was founded as Beach Sweep in 1987 by Dr. Lundie Spence of the North Carolina Sea Grant College Program. In the first year, the Sweep attracted more than 1,000 volunteers and collected more than 14 tons of debris. Its success allowed the Sweep to expand inland, and in 1989, the public-private partnership officially became Big Sweep, the nation’s first statewide waterway clean-up.
Since the founding, North Carolina Big Sweep has had more than 192,000 volunteers and has collected nearly 7 million pounds of litter from North Carolina watersheds. Last year, 1,229 Randolph County volunteers picked up trash from 13.5 miles of shoreline, collecting more than 14,000 pounds of assorted litter. For more information about North Carolina Big Sweep, visit the website at www.ncbigsweep.org.
The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor.