Big Sweep cleanup a huge success

Have you heard of Big Sweep? Big Sweep is a clean-up event held across North Carolina. September 29, it was held for New Hanover County and was a huge success. The City of Wilmington and several other sponsors who are dedicated to keeping New Hanover County and North Carolina clean sponsor the annual event.

632 volunteers removed approximately 5,645 pounds of trash from 41.3 miles of waterways, 3.5 miles of roads and 61 acres of parks and other public areas during Big Sweep.

North Carolina Big Sweep began as a beach cleanup in 1987 and is now an annual statewide event. Since its inception, more than 300,000 volunteers have retrieved over ten million pounds of debris from North Carolina’s waterways. It is part of the International Coastal Cleanup that involves approximately 90 countries and 55 states and territories.

Would you like to participate? A clean-up of bike routes is planned for November 1 and next year’s Big Sweep is planned for September 28th, 2013!

For more information, visit www.keepnhcbeautiful.org or call (910) 798-7564.

Sponsors of the local event include the City of Wilmington, Keep New Hanover County Beautiful, NC Big Sweep, the Town of Wrightsville Beach, the Town of Carolina Beach, Island Women, New Hanover County, the Pleasure Island Parrotheads, the Town of Kure Beach, Tidal Creek Cooperative Market, What’s on Wilmington, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Carolina Beach State Park, North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve, Whole Foods Market, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, First Citizen’s Bank, WWAYTV-3 and Cape Fear River Watch.