Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
We are happy that we could reschedule the Keep Liberty Beautiful 17th Annual Beach Sweep for October 19. We pray the day will be perfect for a cleanup with volunteers and their families! We will be going to St. Catherine’s Island, one of the prettiest barrier islands on the Georgia coast.
But it will only be if we protect its sandy beaches and the water flowing around it. As part of Rivers Alive, Keep Liberty Beautiful has been sponsoring volunteer Beach Sweeps since 2007 to clean up the public beach on St. Catherine’s Island. It is hard to believe this somewhat isolated beach would have that much trash, unless you realize the significance of marine debris and beachgoers leaving their trash behind.
Rivers Alive 2024 is a crucial initiative to maintain the cleanliness of our waterways. Our local waterways, which we rely on for drinking, swimming, and various other uses, are in need of our collective effort. This month, we have a unique opportunity to make a significant difference for clean, healthy waterways.
The health of our local creeks, streams, rivers, and even the ocean is directly influenced by the choices we make every day. Your participation on October 26 for our Annual Rivers Alive events in Liberty County can make a positive impact.
Rivers Alive is a statewide effort to preserve and protect Georgia’s waterways. Rivers Alive events are also part of The Ocean Conservancy’s international efforts. In Liberty County, we hold our main Rivers Alive cleanup day on National Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 26.
National Make A Difference Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday in October and is an opportunity for organizations and individuals to take action that impacts their community. Rivers Alive in Liberty County is a registered event for this national volunteer drive.
The health of our waterways depends on all of us. At Rivers Alive, we can make a difference as volunteers by stopping litter in its tracks at over 40 locations in our county. Trash that begins its life as litter in the west end of the county is just as devastating as trash tossed from a boat in the Intercoastal Waterway. Unfortunately, litter travels! We have cleanups throughout the county because our community is full of wetlands, creeks, and streams. About 40% of Liberty County has wetlands, marshes, creeks, streams, and rivers. We all must take responsibility and stop litter before it journeys downstream.
Our goal is to have more than 600 volunteers this year. Last year, we had 537, and with your help, we can surpass that!
We already have several groups registered with over 265 volunteers at this point. We appreciate all the Adopt Liberty groups and families who have registered to volunteer, but we still need YOU.
Your participation is not just about cleaning up; it’s about personal growth and fulfillment. You can make a powerful difference where you live in just a few hours of your time on a Saturday.
Thanks to our sponsor, SNF Holding Company, we also try to make these cleanups enjoyable! We will have official Rivers Alive T-shirts for the first 600 volunteers registered, so they are going fast!
We also provide all the cleanup supplies for our hardworking volunteers.
SNF, the county, and our local cities provide volunteers lunch after each cleanup. We appreciate the county, the cities, and SNF for supporting this important event because these cleanups would not be possible without them.
Since COVID-19, we have not been able to hold our after-cleanup luncheon, but this year, SNF will sponsor it in the field near Riceboro City Hall for all Rivers Alive volunteers. So, we invite you to join us around 11:30 a.m.
So, all Liberty County’s churches, businesses, organizations, families, neighborhoods, and civic clubs are encouraged to make a difference! Plan to participate and register now! You can sign up on the Keep Liberty Beautiful website or Facebook page. If you have questions, contact us at Keep Liberty Beautiful. You can call (912) 880-4888 or email klcb@libertycountyga.gov. If October 26 does not work for you and your group, you can schedule a cleanup date that works for you. From Walthourville to the Atlantic Ocean, our waterways need YOU! Do not take clean water for granted!
Join us for Rivers Alive 2024!