Celebrate a Clean Rockland County Friday

Keep Rockland Beautiful is celebrating the end to a successful Great American Cleanup campaign season and is thanking its volunteers, sponsors and partners with a big bash on Friday (rain date June 7).   

All will enjoy live blue grass music from the Hook Mountain Boys, pop music by DJ/MC JoJo Russell, barbeque and other food, clowns, a 16 ft. slide and a whole lot of fun while commemorating the 2013 campaign’s achievements. The party will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Germonds Park 185 Germonds Rd. in West Nyack.  

"We look forward to recognizing and thanking all those who make the Great American Cleanup campaign a success each year," said Sonia Cairo, the
executive director of Keep Rockland Beautiful. 
 
Keep Rockland Beautiful has been organizing the Great American Cleanup for over 15 years.  We are proud to have seen the campaign grow from a handful of individuals to close to 3,000 volunteers every year.  

Keep Rockland Beautiful is a non-profit affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and was started to make sure that the county is kept clean and attractive. 

"The Great American Cleanup is a wonderful way to get out and make a visible difference in our communities," said Cairo. "Volunteers not only help to make our neighborhoods more attractive and inviting places to live, work, and play. They learn more about the effects of pollutants on habitats and our natural resources.and ways that they can be better stewards of the environment.  In addition, the Great American Cleanup is a great community-building event."

Here’s a look at what Keep Rockland Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup campaign accomplished in 2013:   

• About 3,000 volunteers collected more than 2,500 bags of trash at 250 sites throughout the county. They also collected 500 bags of recyclables, pulled heavy debris and tires from fields, beaches and streambeds.   

• 3.5 tons of debris was cleaned up from Tomkins Cove.   

• James Farley, Little Tor, Link, Willow Grove and Woodglen Elementary Schools all conducted Bag-A-Thons, which brought out hundreds of students for the cleanup while raising funds for their school. The Adolf Schreiber Hebrew Academy raised more than $1,000 during their event.    

• There were 14 community cleanup events that brought neighbors together and raised environmental awareness.   

• Many locals businesses also supported the environment in their communities with donations. Click here for a complete list of sponsors.