Big Sweep

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release:
Contact: Luiz Rodrigues, Executive Director, ECOMB
Date: March 27, 2009
Phone: 305.534.3825 (w)
786.853.1855 (m)
[email protected]
www.ecomb.org

The Big Sweep
Volunteer Clean-Up of 1st to 14th Streets in South Beach

WHAT:

The Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach (ECOMB) will host a volunteer clean-up of the beach from 1st to 14th Streets in South Beach on Saturday, June 13, 2009. The second annual Big Sweep—which is expected to draw up to 500 volunteers—will collect trash, cigarette butts and larger discarded items from the water’s edge to the city front for the entire 14-block stretch of beach. Individuals and corporate teams will start at opposite ends of the clean-up site and converge in the middle at 7th Street, and compete in friendly contests including number of pounds of trash and cigarette butts collected. Breakfast, lunch and plenty of fluids will be served to the volunteer crews and ECOMB Big Sweep T-shirts distributed. Sculpture by Miami Beach metal sculptor Omar Ali to be will be awarded as “trophy” to the competition winners and a shocking display of just how much litter is actually buried beneath the sand will be demonstrated to participants during the awards ceremony and appreciation party. ECOMB is presently courting a number of potential corporate sponsors for second annual Big Sweep event.

DATE

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

TIME

8 a.m. – 1p.m.

THE BIG SWEEP

8 a.m.

Check-in the morning of the event will be at staging areas located at both 1st Street and 14th Street. Registration is required by May 31, 2009, via the ECOMB Web site (www.ecomb.org).

8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Actual clean-up ensues.

12 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Volunteer appreciation party, awards ceremony, garbage weigh-in, and raffle.

PRESS

ECOMB will stage an extraordinary educational media opportunity at 7th Street after the clean-up when all of the garbage is piled high to demonstrate just how much was collected.

GET INVOLVED

Want to give back to your community? ECOMB encourages individuals, or teams from local business, neighborhood associations, non-profits, cultural outlets, high schools, churches and synagogues to register online at the ECOMB Website (www.ecomb.org/events) and participate in beautifying our beaches.

ECOMB is a not-for-profit 501c(3) Florida corporation founded in 1994 to promote clean beaches, waterways and wetlands. Each year ECOMB coordinates events and programs that encourage responsible behavior and awareness in the Miami Beach vicinity.