For the second year in a row, nearly 100 P&Gers rolled up their sleeves and joined Living Lands & Waters to help clean up trash along Cincinnati's picturesque Ohio Riverbank.
Chad Pregracke (pictured below with P&G employees, kneeling on the far left), who was named a 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, founded Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) in 1998 with a clear vision to clean America’s rivers. Since its inception, LL&W has conducted over 1000 clean-ups on 23 rivers in 20 states, removing nearly 10 million pounds of debris.
P&G Sustainability Communications Manager Julie deSylva wanted to partner with LL&W after a successful first year, and was overwhelmed with the positive employee response once again. “We want to make a meaningful difference for the city, and we all have a role to play. By offering opportunities to give back, it strengthens employees' pride in our company, and makes them feel good about being part of the great company we are.”
By day's end, P&G volunteers had hauled away 236 bags of trash including 177 tires, 1025 pounds of carpet, and 810 pounds of plastic—a grand total of 18,929.5 pounds of debris!
Employees were thrilled to have the opportunity to make a real difference so close to home.
“It was especially energizing for me to see the passion and energy around environmental stewardship and sustainability. Best P&G event I've seen in years.” —Brad Price, P&G Beauty R&D
“I wanted to join today after cleaning out a creek and waterfall with my [local] hiking club. Nature is supposed to be beautiful, so we need to do something about it.” —Beth Harrison, P&G Global Business Development
“I grew up on the river, right across from my house. It has a special place in my heart, and we need to keep it clean. It’s so important to get the community and businesses involved. The river is part of our city, we need to take care of our city.” —Sahara Schumaker, P&G Profit Sharing
“I think it’s really important to participate in something where you can see an immediate, tangible result. You put your work in, make a difference, and at the end of the day, things are better than where you started.” —Jessica Ballinger, MyPG Services
Thanks to all the P&G volunteers!
