Joe Manchin III, Governor
Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : March 19, 2008

Beech Fork State Park Volunteers to Participate in the 2008 West Virginia Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup April 5

--Cleanup and beautification efforts to take place nationwide as part of America’s largest
community improvement event led nationally by Keep America Beautiful --

            Beech Fork State Park, near Barboursville in Wayne County, will be a part the state’s West Virginia Make It Shine statewide clean-up effort spearheaded by the West Virginia Division of Environmental Resources.  Employees at this popular state park and park volunteers will be making a difference on April 5 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. To volunteer, call 304-528-5794, or arrive at the park office between those hours.

            Beech Fork State Park’s West Virginia Make It Shine activities are part of a larger national effort, Keep America Beautiful’s (KAB) Great American Cleanup. KAB’s 2007 cleanup involved an estimated 2.8 million people, volunteering 7.7 million hours to clean, beautify and improve 17,000 communities during more than 30,000 events in all 50 states.  Nationwide activities include: beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter and removing scrap tires, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events. 

            In 2007, West Virginia Make It Shine’s Statewide Cleanup resulted in more than 200,000 pounds of litter and debris collected by more than 3,000 volunteers.

            Many of America’s leading companies are dedicated to supporting and sponsoring the efforts for the 2008 West Virginia Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup/Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup.  The National Sponsors are: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus, GLAD ForceFlex Trash Bags, Pepsi-Cola Company, Sam’s Club, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sprint Foundation, Troy-Bilt Lawn and Garden Equipment, Waste Management, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Educational Partners: ReCellular, Inc. and Rubber Manufacturers Association.

            The WV Make It Shine program is part of Governor Manchin’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) initiative under the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.  All of West Virginia’s volunteer-driven cleanup programs fall under REAP- The Next Generation.

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