Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jennifer Chait (212) 788-8479
"I am happy to join Borough President Guy Molinari and all the volunteers here today to pitch in and clean up our City," Mayor Giuliani said. "Now in its 10th year, the Staten Island Advance's Trashbusters GLAD Wrap And Bags Bag-a-thon is a great way to spend a day having fun, being responsible and caring for our community. I would like to thank the City's Parks and Sanitation Departments, The Staten Island Advance and GLAD Wrap for sponsoring the event, and I commend all of the volunteers here today."
"What we have accomplished in our parks and on our streets are examples of our commitment to improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. 1997 was a record year for the Sanitation Department, the first year in which there were no districts rated "dirty." And the Spring 1998 Parks Inspection Program showed that the City's parks maintained the highest-ever cleanliness ratings -- scoring an acceptable rating of 95 percent. While we have made many improvements, there is still much we can do to further enhance the condition of our parks, playgrounds and streets. And today's program is an important step in that direction," the Mayor concluded.
Borough President Guy V. Molinari said, "As the Borough President of Staten Island, I've worked hard to make our Borough a cleaner, brighter place. Programs like the annual Trashbuster/GLAD Wrap and Bags Bag-a-thon contribute immeasurably not only to keeping our Borough clean, but also help to raise awareness about the importance of being environmentally conscious all year round. I stand proudly with Mayor Giuliani in celebrating the accomplishments of the Trashbusters program in this, its tenth anniversary year."
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said, "As a Staten Islander, I am immensely happy and proud that the Department of Sanitation is one of the sponsors of this terrific event. One of the best ways to help clean up our City is to get right in there and just do it."
Every year, this community outreach program encourages volunteers of all ages to spend the day picking up litter, cans and bottles in specific locations. Volunteers can call up with a suggested site or just show up to volunteer at an established location. Today's volunteers received free lunch and official Bag-a-thon painter's caps donated by The Staten Island Advance.
This year's site was also selected for cleanup by the Parks Department's "It's My Park Month" annual Spring Green-Up days, designed to foster volunteerism in City parks. Over 7,000 volunteers will fan out to 350 locations around the City four times between April 25 and May 17.
Interested volunteers can call the Trashbuster-Big Help hotline at (718) 816-2811 or the Green-Up program at (212) 815-7194.
Other partners or contributors to this year's event include Staten Island Cable, Friends of Clearwater and Citizens of Ocean Breeze.