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Volunteers Needed for Twin Ports Virtual Coastal Cleanup

[Duluth, MN] The cities of Superior and Duluth are hosting a watershed cleanup on Saturday, September 26. Join your friends and neighbors in keeping the Lake Superior watershed litter-free!

Two Awesome Cities, One Great Lake!  Mayor Emily Larson of Duluth and Mayor Jim Paine of Superior are teaming up for the Twin Ports Virtual Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 26! Registration is now open! All are welcome to cleanup parts of Duluth and Superior on September 26. Sign-up with the city you reside in and submit your litter results online to enter your name to win prizes!

Duluth Sign-Up: www.duluthmn.gov/kdc

Superior Sign-Up: http://www.ci.superior.wi.us/Twin-Ports-Virtual-Cleanup

“The Cities of Duluth and Superior share a deep love of Lake Superior, and a strong commitment to keeping our communities clean,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said. “The Twin Ports Virtual Coastal Cleanup is a great way for residents to spend time picking up litter before it makes its way into our great lake.” 

In April, the City of Duluth hosted its first virtual cleanup and had over 600 volunteers donate over 900 hours of service in a single day. Registered participants reported collecting over a ton of trash which equates to over 40 cubic yards. In Superior, 87 people volunteered for 93 total hours by cleaning up sites all over the city.

The Cities of Duluth and Superior hope to see an increase in participation for this new event. People of all ages can come together individually or in small groups to restore and preserve the area around Lake Superior. This event can be a great team-building experience that will strengthen our communities and encourage pride in our cities. 

Volunteers may choose their location and time to clean up. This event is now just limited to beaches, or coastal areas, and encourage volunteers to look for garbage in their neighborhood, favorite park, along riverbanks and roadsides, or at a school, or business. Cleanups in urban areas prevent debris from entering storm drains, which flow directly into Lake Superior. 

By participating in the Twin Ports Virtual Coastal Cleanup, volunteers in the Twin Ports will be acting locally on a global event. This event is part of a worldwide project called The International Coastal Cleanup. Since the Cleanup began in 1986, nearly 12 million people – all volunteers – from more than 90 countries and 55 US states and territories have taken hands-on action to clean shores around the planet. All of the debris collected is documented, and the data used to target pollution prevention programs for our region.

Volunteers can win prizes for their cleanup efforts! Prizes for the 2020 Twin Ports Virtual Coastal Cleanup include gift cards from the Whole Foods Co-op, Canal Park Brewery, DQ Grill & Chill, Anchor Bar, Thirsty Pagan, and a 24-inch tessellate planter and pitch birdhouse from Loll Designs. Event sponsors include the City of Duluth, City of Superior, Keep Duluth Clean, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

During cleanups, participants are asked to dress for the weather and wear appropriate shoes. Participants are asked to provide their own gloves and buckets for collecting trash to save on disposable materials used in the cleanup. Dispose of collected trash, as possible, in personal trash receptacles. 

For more information or to host a site in Duluth, contact Cheryl Skafte at 218-730-4334 or via email cskafte@DuluthMN.gov.

For more information or to host a site in Superior, contact Megan Högfeldt at 715-394-0392 or via email hogfeldtm@ci.superior.wi.us.

To learn about the Alliance for the Great Lakes please contact Jennifer J. Caddick, Vice President, Communications and Engagement at 312-445-9760 or jcaddick@greatlakes.org

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