The North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont Chapter organized their first and hopefully annual National River Cleanup Day event held on May 17, 2025. Cleaning up the shores and waterway of the Tar-Pamlico River in the Washington, North Carolina, over 30 volunteers and 12 facilitators removed about 25 bags of trash, and larger items like lawn chairs and tires. This event’s success is thanks to the NCC&P Chapter’s members and volunteers, and the many community organizations that came together to prioritize the river’s health.
The NCC&P Chapter provided boats, trash grabbers and bags, water and energy bars for participants. Royal Rangers Outpost 91, an adventure-based, merit-driven, faith-based church ministry and mentoring program for boys, provided many of the volunteers. The North Carolina Estuarium, a state-owned environmental, educational facility helped with marketing and logistics, Sound Rivers, a Riverkeeper organization, handled the on-line registrations and River Vibes, a local kayak rental company, provided boats and additional marketing support. Finally, a big thank you goes out to the City of Washington’s Public Works Department for picking up the collected trash and hauling it to the dump. Thanks to everyone!
Volunteers cleaned the area around the Washington waterfront and across the river at Castle Island. According to the Royal Ranger leader, Lee Godwin, “The kids had a lot of fun and want to do this again next year.” Other volunteers echoed those sentiments.
Once the event concluded, the NCC&P Chapter donated the trash grabbers to the NC Estuarium. Also, leftover chips and swag bags were donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Washington.
Not only did the event benefit the community, but it also effectively marketed ACBS and the NCC&P Chapter, as a pre-event article appeared on the front page of the Washington Daily News.
The NCC&P Chapter is truly grateful to the many collaborators who helped to make the shores of our little section of the Tar Pimlico River shine. Here’s looking to next year, when the chapter hopes to take part in the National River Cleanup Day again.
