Project: New York, NY Cleanup

Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue 

Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM (ET)

Queens, NY
 

The Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project, now in its sixth year, helps keep beaches, rivers, parks and lakes across America “barefoot friendly.”  In 2012, Barefoot Wine and the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, along with community volunteers, are embarking on a tour of 25 cleanups nationwide, stopping in Rockaway Beach, NY.

Cleanup                                            
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm                      
Surfers Beach
91st Street & Shore Front Parkway
Rockaway Beach, NY 11694   
look for the Surfrider tent!

Volunteers are also invited to attend a celebration, organized by Surfrider Foundation, featuring surf-inspired fare and a live performance by musician Joshua Radin!  Tickets for the celebration will be distributed at the cleanup.

Celebration
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Bungalow Bar & Restaurant
377 Beach 92nd Street
Rockaway Beach, NY 11694

Complimentary transportation for this event is available from Manhattan to Rockaway Beach, picking up at:
41 Madison Avenue at 26th Street
Shuttle departs at 1:30 PM and returns after the celebration. Space is limited.
To RSVP for the shuttle to Rockaway Beach, please email Nancy Fishgold, nfishgold@hunterpr.com.

Please note that all events are limited to those 21 years of age or older. 

The NYC Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation wants to ban free single-use checkout style plastic bags in New York City, or at least establish a fee on them.  This is a huge task that could possibly take years.  

In the meantime, the chapter noticed that the Queens County Library system, all 62 branches, offers a plastic bag to every patron checking out a book, CD, or DVD.  With a circulation of 23 million in 2009, the Queens Library has clearly given away millions of plastic bags at NYC taxpayer expense.  The libraries serving the other NYC boroughs don’t do this.

The Chapter wants to change the practices of the Queens Library on their way to a bag ban in NYC.  Individuals can help by emailing city officials and the head of the Queens Library here:

Non-Profit Organizations can help by signing on to the list of groups here: http://nyc.surfrider.org/campaigns/current-projects/no-plastic-bags-from-the-queens-co-library

The Chapter is also collecting postcards to the Library CEO in anticipation of hand delivering them. Help New York City Rise Above Plastics and help them join the scores of locations that have banned the bag!