Rhode Island International Coastal Cleanup Welcomes Citizens Bank as a Signature Sponsor

PROVIDENCE, RI – Save The Bay is happy to announce Citizens Bank as a $10,000 signature sponsor for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC),  a world-wide event that recruits volunteers to remove trash and document what they find at cleanup sites on September 19, 2015. Save The Bay is the Rhode Island Coordinator for the event.

Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers participated in the Rhode Island ICC at more than 80 sites, removing about 20,000 pounds of trash and debris. Save The Bay relies on sponsors and volunteers to make the event a success.

“Citizens Bank is proud to be a signature sponsor of the International Coastal Cleanup, the largest
global volunteer effort on behalf of the ocean, where in one day more than 2,000 volunteers,
including Citizens colleagues, will help clean up 80 beaches in 18 Rhode Island towns,” said Barbara
Cottam, Rhode Island Market Executive, Citizens Bank. “Citizens Bank colleagues are excited to roll
up their sleeves and join fellow Rhode Islanders with Save the Bay to to clean up our beaches and
contribute to ensuring that our coastline is pristine.”

According to July Lewis, Save The Bay’s Volunteer Manager, the data collected is compiled and published in an annual report on marine debris by the Ocean Conservancy, a Washington, DC-based advocate for marine issues. Policymakers working to reduce marine debris at the source use the annual report to inform their work and to raise awareness of the problem.

“Save The Bay is committed to reducing trash that fouls our beaches at its source,” says Save The Bay Executive Director, Jonathan Stone.   The data gathered through the ICC is important to our efforts to prevent polluted stormwater from reaching the Bay in the first place.  We couldn’t undertake this statewide cleanup effort without the help of our sponsors and our committed volunteers.”

Citizens Bank sponsorship supports cleanup efforts at many sites including Colt State Park, Scarborough Beach, Rocky Point,  Salters Grove and others. Citizens Bank has been active over the past several years recruiting their own staff to help pick up trash in their community.

“Groups, families and individuals are welcome,” said Lewis. “We provide the bags, gloves, and other supplies. It’s a really fun, simple way to do something good by spending a morning on the beach!”

Additional sponsors and supporters include:  Clean Ocean Access, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, REI, Professional Security Services, WalMart, and ZipCar. Many sponsors adopt an area near their business community and use the cleanup as a staff team building activity while supporting a great cause at the same time.

As part of their sponsorship, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar in Providence will hold a special cocktail reception and four-course dinner with all proceeds benefiting the ICC on Wednesday, September 16 at 6 pm. Hemenways Chef Max and his culinary team have created a menu that highlights ingredients from local farmers, fishmongers, purveyors and artisans. Tickets are $85 per person | Call 401-351-8570 to make a reservation. See information on Save The Bay’s Facebook events pages or go hemenwaysrestaurant.com.

For more information about sponsorship or partnership with Save The Bay, contact Leanne Danielsen at ldanielsen@savebay.org.

About Save The Bay: Founded in 1970, Save The Bay works to protect and improve Narragansett Bay and its watershed through advocacy, education, and restoration efforts. It envisions a fully swimmable, fishable, healthy Narragansett Bay, accessible to everyone and globally recognized as an environmental treasure.

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