September Cleanup Fuels Volunteers’ Passion for Great Lakes, Concern for Clean Water in Wake of Toledo Water Crisis

Thousands of dedicated volunteers will join the Alliance’s annual September Adopt-a-Beach™ cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon* Saturday, clearing shorelines in five states while showcasing a passion for stewarding their slice of the Great Lakes. Together, they make up the impressive Great Lakes leg of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, with more than 6,800 Adopt-a-Beach™ volunteers picking up some 16,660 pounds of trash along 239 shoreline locations during last year’s cleanup. This year’s event is on track to be just as successful. Held across five states  — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin – the annual September Adopt-a-Beach™ Event provides a unique lens for viewing firsthand the value these volunteers ascribe to their local Great Lakes beaches, shorelines and water. Last month’s news that a massive toxic algae bloom contaminated Lake Erie drinking water for nearly 500,000 Toledo residents underscored that value, and brought home the message that good stewardship starts locally. In a show of solidarity with Toledo, Adopt-a-Beach™ teams will hoist posters at Saturday’s cleanups and send the message that Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers must protect Great Lakes drinking water and address the preventable root causes of toxic algae blooms: excess nutrients from farm runoff and sewage treatment plants. Adopt-a-Beach™ is open to everyone. To find a cleanup in your community, see www.greatlakesadopt.org; register to volunteer for a cleanup at www.greatlakesadopt.org. Learn more about the September cleanup at www.greatlakes.org/SAAB. Follow the September Adopt-a-Beach™ events via Facebook, and Twitter for #trashfreelakes.