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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><img width="325" height="73" style="width:3.3854in;height:.7604in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D9F86A.24467780" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department"><span style="font-size:1.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="color:#00467F">News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a href="mailto:CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov">CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00467F">News Release</span><span style="color:#00467F"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:25.4pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#EF3D42">For Immediate Release: October 6, 2023</span><span style="color:#D3372A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Durham’s Big Sweep Litter Cleanup Set for October 7</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Volunteers Invited to Durham’s Largest Litter Prevention Event; Cleanups Happening Throughout October<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span class="normaltextrun">DURHAM, N.C. – If you want a cleaner community, grab your family and friends and head out to a neighborhood, park, or creek to clean up litter as part of
</span><a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep">Durham’s Annual Big Sweep</a><span class="normaltextrun">.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="color:#00467F">What You Need to Know<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
First Big Sweep events are scheduled for Saturday, October 7. Additional events are set for October 14, 21, and 28.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
Groups and individuals are welcome to participate in scheduled cleanups or create their own event.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
Big Sweep is Durham’s annual largest litter cleanup. Since 2005, more than 7,200 volunteers have removed 200,000+ pounds of litter from trails, parks, roadsides, and waterways.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="color:black;background:white">Online registration for this year’s Saturday, October 7 events is open on the </span><a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Durham
Big Sweep website</span><span style="background:white"> </span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">for the annual fall cleanup that brings together volunteers to remove litter. </span>Additional cleanup dates in October are also available.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">Volunteers can register as an individual and select a group event to join, and groups can also register their own organized events throughout the month of October. Volunteers needing assistance
identifying a cleanup location or who would like to organize a group cleanup are encouraged to send an
<a href="mailto:info@keepdurhambeautiful.org">email</a> or visit the <a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep">
Durham Big Sweep website</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">Big Sweep volunteers are provided bags, gloves, litter grabbers, and vests. The City’s Neighborhood Improvement Services Department and the Durham County General Services Department ensure that
all collected litter is properly recycled or sent to the landfill. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="margin:0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">Since 2005, more than 7,200 Big Sweep volunteers have removed 200,000+ pounds of litter from Durham trails, parks, roadsides, and waterways. “Big Sweep shows the power of the Durham community,”
said Keep Durham Beautiful Program Coordinator Dawn Keyser. “We can all do our part to transform litter hot spots into clean and green spots, first through prevention, then through cleanups.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">According to Keyser, Big Sweep is Durham's largest litter cleanup, with 662 individuals pitching in last year.
<a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/">Keep Durham Beautiful</a>, the <a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/692/Stormwater-Division">
City of Durham Public Works Department Stormwater Division</a>, <a href="https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-f-z/soil-water-conservation-district">
Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">,</span> and others coordinate this annual event.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="margin:0in;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">About Keep Durham Beautiful
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><a href="http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/"><span style="background:white">Keep Durham Beautiful</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white"> is a nonprofit, volunteer organization
working in partnership with the </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services"><span style="background:white">City of Durham General Services Department</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white"> and
</span><a href="http://dconc.gov/"><span style="background:white">Durham County</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white"> to encourage residents, businesses, and community organizations to protect the environment and enhance the appearance of Durham
through cleanup events, beautification projects, waste reduction, and educational activities. To learn more follow on
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful"><span style="background:white">Facebook</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">,
</span><a href="https://instagram.com/keepdurhambeautiful/"><span style="background:white">Instagram</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">,
</span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keepdurhambeautiful/"><span style="background:white">Flickr</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">, and
</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful"><span style="background:white">X, formerly known as Twitter</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="color:black"><br>
</span><b>About the City of Durham Public Works Department Stormwater Division<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">The <a href="https://durhamnc.gov/692/Stormwater-GIS-Services">
Stormwater Division</a> with the City of Durham Public Works Department is guided by the City’s
<a href="https://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan">Strategic Plan</a> goals of sustainable natural, and built environment and innovative and high-performing organization. Activities include storm drainage design and plans review; inspecting and maintaining City-owned
drainage systems; enforcing stormwater ordinances and regulations; education and outreach; stream monitoring, restoration, and watershed master planning. To learn more follow on
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/DurhamNCStormwater">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/DurhamStormH2O">
X, formerly known as Twitter</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">About the Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District</span></strong><b><span style="color:black;background:white"><br>
</span></b><span style="color:black;background:white">The Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District seeks to conserve, enhance, and promote the natural resources of Durham County by providing technical assistance, environmental education information
and economic incentives to County citizens and by exhibiting a diversified program to meet its changing needs. For more information, visit the
</span><a href="http://dconc.gov/swcd"><span style="background:white">website</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white"> and follow on
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DCoSWCD"><span style="background:white">Facebook</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background:white">,</span></span><span style="color:black;background:white">
</span><a href="http://www.Twitter.com/DCoSWCD"><span style="background:white">X, formerly known as Twitter</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">, and
</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/durhamswcd/"><span style="background:white">Instagram</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center">###<o:p></o:p></p>
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