16th Annual Trash Bash: Time again to “Clean it Like you Mean it”!

If you are wondering what you can do to take care of Texas, then you will want to join over 5,000 Texans in the Houston-Galveston area to “Clean it like you mean it” at the 16th Annual River, Lakes, Bays ‘n Bayous Trash Bash. Families, schools, churches, and scout troops are just a few of the groups that are gathering on Saturday, March 28, 2009, to participate in the State’s largest waterway cleanup event. With sixteen Trash Bash locations in the area, it is easy to find one near you. Make a difference in your community by picking up trash that can clog storm drains and end up in Galveston Bay!Go to http://www.trashbash.org to choose your site. Download your registration/liability forms and bring them to your chosen Trash Bash location or fill out a form onsite. Registration and check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. Every site will provide volunteers with gloves, trash bags, t-shirts, lunch, door prizes, and educational activities. A commemorative patch is available for scouts and patch collectors.

In 1994, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality joined forces to organize “Trash Bash”. In 1999, the Trash Bash Steering Committee, comprised of local partners, took over the event. Since then, Trash Bash has received many local, state and national awards, including the Governor’s Texas Environmental Excellence Award, Keep America Beautiful Award, Keep Houston Beautiful Award, Mayor of Houston’s Proud Partners Award, Keep Texas Beautiful Award for Civic Leadership, and EPA Gulf Guardian Award.

Corporate sponsors are able to satisfy requirements of industry initiatives such as ‘Clean Industries’, ‘Clean Industries Plus’, and ‘Responsible Care’. In 2003, Trash Bash was also approved by TCEQ as an ongoing Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP)!

Platinum ($5,000) Sponsors are: H-E-B, The Greensheet, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, Port of Houston Authority, Republic Services, Inc, Bastrop Bayou Watershed Program, and Houston-Galveston Area Council. Gold ($2,500) Sponsors are: Harris County Watershed Protection Group, KBR, Rohm and Haas, Shell Oil Company, City of Houston, Nestle Waters. Silver ($1,000) Sponsors are: Air Products, Inc., American Acryl LP, Calumet Penreco, Chaparral Stevedoring Company of Texas, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Houston Pilots, J. Simmons Group, Kirby Corporation, Lubrizol Corporation, San Jacinto River Authority, South Coast Terminals, Texas Outhouse, Texas Petrochemicals, TOTAL – Bayport HPDE Plant.

Mobilize your family, school, church, neighbors, and organizations to remove tons of trash and debris from your community – the Galveston Bay watershed. Groups of six or more are encouraged to contact their site coordinator for special instructions that will ease registration. For more information visit http://www.trashbash.org, call the Trash Bash Hotline at 281-486-9500, or e-mail swinformation@h-gac.com.