POSTER CONTEST UNDERWAY

Students in primary and secondary schools (public and private, K-12) are invited to design a poster for the 26th annual River Sweep 2015.

Fifteen prizes will be awarded.  The grand prize is $500 and the school representing the grand prize winner will also receive an award.  A $500 prize will be presented to the student with the winning design for the official River Sweep t-shirt.  Thirteen $50 prizes will be awarded to one winner at each grade level.

The poster contest is open to students living in or attending schools in counties bordering the Ohio River, or counties participating in the River Sweep. This includes all counties along the Ohio River in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.

The 26th annual River Sweep will be held Saturday, June 20, 2015.  River Sweep is a one-day cleanup project for the Ohio River and its tributaries.  The Sweep covers nearly 3,000 miles of shoreline from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cairo, IL, and averages more than 17,000 volunteers a year. Trash collected during the Sweep has included cars, tires, furniture, toys, a piano, and a variety of other items. All trash collected is either recycled or placed in approved landfills.

River Sweep is held to create an awareness of water quality problems caused by litter and illegal dumping.  The poster contest, held in conjunction with River Sweep, is one way to spread the word about litter prevention.  Posters submitted for the contest should reflect this goal and focus on encouraging volunteer participation.  Deadline for the River Sweep Poster Contest is December 19, 2014.

River Sweep is sponsored by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). ORSANCO is the water pollution control agency for the Ohio River and its tributaries.  Other agencies participating in the River Sweep include Illinois EPA, Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Kentucky River Authority, and West Virginia Make It Shine Program. Voluntary contributions from industries provide major funding for the Sweep.

For further information about the River Sweep Poster Contest, or for complete contest rules and regulations, contact Lisa Cochran at 1-800-359-3977, or visit www.OhioRiverSweep.org.