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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="325" height="73" style="width:3.3833in;height:.7583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01DB05C2.D84A64B0" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b> News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"> <a href="mailto:CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov">CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:50.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#002060">News Release<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:red">For Immediate Release: September 13, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Durham’s Big Sweep Litter Cleanup Set for October<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Volunteers Invited to Durham’s Largest Litter Prevention Event; Cleanups Happening Throughout October<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DURHAM, N.C. – In October, grab your family and friends to clean up litter as part of
<a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep">Durham’s Annual Big Sweep</a>. You can choose to clean a neighborhood, park, or creek.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#002060">What You Need to Know<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Big Sweep events scheduled throughout October.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="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="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Big Sweep is Durham’s largest annual litter cleanup. Since 2005, more than 8,000 volunteers have removed 230,000 pounds of litter from trails, parks, roadsides, and waterways.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Online registration is now open on the <a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep">Durham Big Sweep website</a>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Volunteers can sign up to join any of our organized cleanup events. Groups can also register their own organized events throughout the month of October. Volunteers who want help selecting a cleanup location or who would like to organize
a group cleanup may <a href="mailto:info@keepdurhambeautiful.org">contact Keep Durham Beautiful</a> or visit the
<a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/big-sweep">Durham Big Sweep website</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keep Durham Beautiful and its partners supply Big Sweep volunteers with bags, gloves, litter grabbers, vests, and safety tips. 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="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Big Sweep helps us keep downstream waterways clear of litter that can harm wildlife and break down into microplastics that are bad for our health,” said Laura Smith, senior communications analyst in the City’s Public Works Department.
“Community members who help prevent and clean up litter from our streets, trails, and creeks are clean water heroes.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to Keep Durham Beautiful, the annual Big Sweep is Durham's largest litter cleanup, with a record 797 people 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>, and <a href="https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-f-z/soil-water-conservation-district">
Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District</a> coordinate this annual event.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>About Keep Durham Beautiful <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/">Keep Durham Beautiful</a> is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the
<a href="https://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services">City of Durham General Services Department</a> and
<a href="http://dconc.gov/">Durham County</a> 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 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful">Facebook</a>,
<a href="https://instagram.com/keepdurhambeautiful/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keepdurhambeautiful/">
Flickr</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/durhambeautiful">X</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<b>About the City of Durham Public Works Department Stormwater Division<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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 a thriving and vibrant 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><u>,</u> <a href="https://twitter.com/DurhamStormH2O">
X</a><u>, and </u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/durhamstormh2o/">Instagram</a><u>.<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>About the Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District<br>
</b>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
<a href="http://dconc.gov/swcd">website</a> and follow on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DCoSWCD">
Facebook</a><u>,</u> <a href="https://twitter.com/DCoSWCD">X</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/durhamswcd/">
Instagram</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">###<o:p></o:p></p>
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