All Entries Tagged With: "Save The Bay"
Save The Bay announces collaboration with National Grid to support volunteer programs
PROVIDENCE, RI – Save The Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone is pleased to announce a new relationship with National Grid, supporting Save The Bay’s robust and dynamic volunteer program. The collaborative effort kicked off yesterday with National Grid’s generous support of the Rhode Island International Coastal Cleanup, which drew more than 2,000 volunteers to pick up trash and debris on nearly 60 miles of Rhode Island coastline.
In addition to shoreline cleanups, Save The Bay’s volunteer program includes habitat restoration efforts, education of families at the Exploration Center and Aquarium and South Coast Center, assistance with summer camps, special events, professional office needs and more. In 2014, 3,403 dedicated volunteers contributed 29,525 hours to Save The Bay, adding an in-kind value to the organization of $676,602.
“The strength of Save The Bay and our talented staff is multiplied exponentially by the dedication of thousands of volunteers every year. We applaud National Grid’s clear commitment to Narragansett Bay and the environment through a relationship that will not only help provide supplies and equipment to support the work of our volunteer projects, but will further amplify our volunteer base by providing National Grid employees to participate as volunteers in shoreline cleanups and habitat restoration projects,” Stone said.
“National Grid, our employee volunteers and Save The Bay share a common commitment to work for a cleaner environment,” said Timothy F. Horan, president of National Grid in Rhode Island. “We can think of no better way of doing this than by assisting organizations like Save The Bay through our financial backing and the work of our employees.”
Moving forward, National Grid employees will join Save The Bay in events that will provide for hands on experiences with Narragansett Bay and an introduction to the organization’s initiatives. They will embody the Save The Bay mission to protect and improve Narragansett Bay by participating as volunteers in shoreline cleanups, habitat restoration projects, and other opportunities specifically focused on such coastal communities as Providence, Warwick, Newport, and Westerly.
“Donations and working relationships like this one with National Grid are truly invaluable,” said Save The Bay Volunteer and Internship Manager July Lewis. “They enable us to engage so many more volunteers and are essential to our volunteer projects, providing trash bags for cleaning up, storm drain markers, outreach for our volunteer opportunities and so much more. People love volunteering, and to have National Grid’s support in engaging more volunteers is a tremendous gift.”
REI Partners With Save The Bay: REI Village to be at Oakland Beach ICC Cleanup Site
CRANSTON, RI –Save The Bay is proud to team up with REI, a sponsor for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). REI will be bringing the REI Village, a nation-wide tour that celebrates the good outdoor life and the REI member community, to the International Coastal Cleanup location at Oakland Beach in Warwick, RI at 9am – 12pm on Saturday, September 19. Special activities and opportunities await volunteers who participate in the ICC Oakland Beach cleanup.
“REI is thrilled to support Save The Bay at the 2015 International Coastal Cleanup. We are excited to announce that REI will be bringing the REI Village to the event. We will be celebrating volunteers by passing out gifts and interacting with the public. REI is very proud of the work Save the Bay does to keep our local beaches clean, safe, and healthy,” says Alaina Imberger, REI’s market coordinator.
At the REI Village, ICC volunteers and members of the public will enjoy giveaways, free lessons from REI Outdoor School instructors, games, demonstrations and more. The REI village consists of “a fully-functional bike repair shop, an instant outdoor hammock lounge, and spaces for members to relax and meet each other.” Volunteers and the public will be able to experience REI’s mobile camp setup experience. Sponsors like REI make it possible for the International Coastal Cleanup to be a success.
“The exciting thing about the International Coastal Cleanup is that it is an event on such a grand scale. We are united with people around the world who care just as much about their beaches as we do in Rhode Island,” says July Lewis, Save The Bay’s Volunteer Manager.
Organized by the Ocean Conservancy, the ICC is a worldwide event that recruits volunteers from all over the globe to help keep coastlines clean by removing trash and recording what is found at the cleanup sites. This year’s ICC takes place on September 19, 2015. Last year in Rhode Island, 16,368 pounds of trash were removed from the beaches. The top 10 items collected were cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps, plastic beverage bottles, fishing line, straws, beverage cans, plastic bags, glass bottles and metal bottle caps.
National Grid is the lead sponsor for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup; Citizens Bank is the event signature sponsor. Other sponsors include: Bank of America, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, REI, ZipCar, Packaging 2.0, Clean Ocean Access, Walmart, Professional Security Services and Northups. For more information about sponsorship or partnership with Save The Bay, contact Leanne Danielsen at ldanielsen@savebay.org.
