Be a coordinator for the Great Rock River Sweep

A locanl man’s vision to clean up the Rock River in Oregon has grown into a river-long event stretching from the river’s origin in Wisconsin to Rock Island.

The 1st annual Great Rock River Sweep will be held Saturday, July 31 in each community along the Rock River for 285 miles — from Horicon, Wisconsin to Rock Island.

Frank Masterman, Oregon, helped launch the initial Rock River Sweep in June 2009 wherein volunteers cleaned debris from the river’s shore around Oregon.

The effort was coordinated by Forward Oregon, a not-for-profit community revitalization group based in Oregon.

Masterman is now trying to expand the river clean-up effort to all communities along the Rock River and has started recruiting “Section Coordinators” for the event.

“Organizations, groups, clubs, businesses, and individuals are encouraged to volunteer to fill the positions of Section Coordinator in each community along the river,” said Masterman. “Larger communities will require multiple sub-sections and coordinators to head up each sub-section.”

The 2009 effort was be held in conjunction with National River Cleanup, sponsored by American Rivers. The National River Cleanup is designed to raise public awareness of the magnitude of trash accumulating in the nation’s waterways.

Masterman said section coordinators are needed for each community along the Rock River.

Duties of the section coordinator are as follows:

• Work closely with Rock River Sweep.org organizers to assure a uniform and successful clean-up.

• Acquire clean-up supplies and other support from local businesses, (T-shirts, gloves, flyers, etc).

• Work with local media to recruit volunteers for clean-up day.

• Work with neighboring section coordinators to prevent overlapping of sections.

• Use the “Organizer’s Handbook” (provided by Rock River Sweep.org) to assure a successful clean-up effort.

• Register your section of the Rock River Sweep with Rock River Sweep.org and with American Rivers.

• Recruit, assemble, and register volunteers on the clean-up day.

• Coordinate post-clean-up, recyclable-sort and trash disposal.

• Arrange for proper disposal of all material collected.

• Report clean-up results to Rock River Sweep.org organizers and American Rivers.

• Section Coordinators will be coordinating and conducting the clean-up in your local section, but will also be doing it as part of a much larger group.