Oregon Coast and River Cleanup Date Announced: 30th Anniversary

Published 08/14/2014

(Oregon Coast) – The first volunteer beach cleanup in the world happened in Oregon in 1984, and that means it's the 30th anniversary next month of what was then known as the SOLV Beach Cleanup on the Oregon coast. September 27 is the date for what is now known as the SOLVE Beach and Riverside Cleanup, sponsored by the Oregon Lottery.

Again, thousands will join the effort to scour the beaches of the Oregon coast as well as inland river areas in places like Portland, Eugene, Medford, Bend and more.

SOLVE recently announced the new date and put out a call for volunteers.

Back then, in the year that The Eurythmics and Tears for Fears were raging on the record charts, the dream of the first beach cleanup began to take shape as forward-thinkers Judie Hansen and Eleanor Dye were inspired to rid the state's beaches of litter. Local communities, haulers and volunteers banded together across the state, removing 26 tons of debris in the first year alone.

"The 1984 event helped inspire a cleanup model that has since spread across the nation and throughout the world," said Joy Irby, SOLVE Program Coordinator. "That is an amazing legacy for our state."

Now, a whole three decades later, the SOLVE beach cleanups are a massive Oregon tradition that draws hundreds each time around and has expanded to watersheds and rivers around the entire state. Litter cleanups have moved not just around the state but to southern Washington as well. SOLVE said that over the years the Beach and Riverside Cleanup has engaged 110,500 volunteers who have removed 1.5 million pounds of litter from Oregon's beaches, parks, neighborhoods and waterways.

"The Beach and Riverside Cleanup truly shows Oregonians at their best," said Maureen Fisher, SOLVE Executive Director. "Each year, Oregon volunteers help to make sure that we have clean and healthy waterways - and they have fun doing it!"

While the date for the upcoming cleanup may vary slightly for some parts of the inland state, September 27 is the date for the scouring of the Oregon coast. Most parts of Oregon are on that date and the time for most areas is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This 30th anniversary cleanup includes over 100 projects, and it is part of the International Coastal Cleanup and National Public Lands Day. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register online at www.solveoregon.org, or by calling 503-844-9571 x332.

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