FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        
APRIL 9, 2010

Cary Citizens Asked to Participate in Cary's Spring Litter Sweep

CARY, N.C. — Civic-minded citizens 12 and older can now volunteer for the Town of Cary’s spring Litter Sweep, which will take place on May 1 at various parks and neighborhoods throughout Cary as part of a statewide Litter Sweep program. This one-day event is part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s two-week spring Litter Sweep program where state volunteers and community service workers take to the highways to remove roadside litter.

“Volunteers are given all the tools needed for a day of safe and fun beautification,” said Heather Morell, Town of Cary’s Conservation Specialist and Spruce Volunteer Coordinator. “Litter Sweep encourages us to work together for a cleaner and greener Cary community.”

Interested participants should contact the Town’s Spruce program at (919) 469-4301 to coordinate a clean-up area. All volunteers will meet at their litter sweep location on May 1 for a short safety orientation. At that time, they will be issued gloves, vests and orange trash bags to be used in their designated clean-up area. The Town of Cary will collect the filled trash bags. Participants are reminded to warm up by stretching before picking up litter and to drink plenty of water during the cleanup. Children between the ages of 12 and 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
 
During Litter Sweep, the N.C. State Highway Patrol will be on alert and policing the roadways for motorists with unsecured loads and others who intentionally and unintentionally litter. Littering is an illegal, fineable offense. Upon conviction, defendants can be fined up to $2,000, receive a point on their driver’s license and be sentenced to community service work. Fines can double upon a second conviction. 
 
The Town of Cary’s Fall Litter Sweep included almost 300 volunteers giving over 700 hours of their time to collect almost 4,000 pounds of litter, 1,300 pounds of recycling and 11 tires. Another fall event is scheduled for the end of September.

For more information about NCDOT’s Litter Sweep, call 1-800-331-5864 or visit the Office of Beautification Programs Web site at www.ncdot.gov/~beautification and click on “Litter Sweep.” To learn more about the Town of Cary’s environmental volunteer programs, visit Spruce at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469-4301.

###

PRIMARY CONTACTS: 
Heather Morell, Conservation Specialist, (919) 469-4301
George Kapetanakis, NCDOT Office of Beautification Programs, (919) 715-3188
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951