Are You Ready for a Challenge?

Do you love Virginia? Do you want to make an environmental impact? Are you unsure as to what you might do? Here’s an easy one.

#OneBagofTrashVa

In 2013, a Boston College student with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) challenged his friends to either donate to research or dump a bucket of ice water on their heads. It went viral the following year as The Ice Bucket Challenge, with millions of everyday people and celebrities accepting the challenge and passing it along to their friends. Over 2.4 million videos circulated on Facebook, and researchers around the world reported an increase in funding. It raised over $100 million for the ALS Association, $26 million in Canada, and a million Euros in the Netherlands. More than anything else, it raised awareness about this disease and its devastating impact.

We should only be so lucky.

For ours, we simply want you to pick up one bag of trash and recyclables. Here’s how it works:

  • Accept the Challenge – by yourself or as a group.
  • Take a picture or video and tag it with #OneBagofTrashVa.
  • Tag your friends and family, and challenge them to a #OneBagofTrashVa.

 

Like the Ice Bucket Challenge, you can also show your love and support by donating to our mission at First Giving – Love VA.

Get to Work!

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SITR-banner 17In other news, registration for Shiver in the River 2017 is LIVE! It will be on January 28th, and will again feature a community cleanup, a 5K Walk/Run, the chilly James River Jump, food trucks, music, and more. Last year brought participants of all ages, and no shortage of four-legged friends! This is our Third Annual, and it has certainly become Richmond’s Coolest Winter Festival. Watch the Shiver in the River website for Early Bird Specials on registration, and get in early for sponsorship opportunities.

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Screen Shot 2016-08-01 at 4.40.10 PMLastly, our campaign – Your Butt is Bigger Than You Think – is going strong! This Cigarette Litter Prevention Program is a partnership with Keep America Beautiful, and is aimed squarely at the biggest contributor to litter in America – Your Butt.

We’ve started in Richmond by doing site surveys to count the number of butts, handing out over 400 pocket ashtrays, installed some signs and even a billboard, and we’ve provided some cigarette butt receptacles at some key locations around town. The second part of this (and where you can help) is an awareness campaign so that people know what sort of impact their butt has on Virginia and our environment. We’re handing out educational materials, and together with you, hope to change people’s behaviors.