Canal Clean Sweep reaches five-year milestone; set for April 16 – 18, 2010
The 5th Annual Canal Clean Sweep is coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 16, 17 and 18, and we want you to be part of it! In recognition of Earth Day and in advance of the 185th consecutive navigation season on the NYS Canal System and the summer tourism season, the NYS Canal Corporation, in partnership with Parks & Trails New York, the Environmental Facilities Corporation and the NYS Consumer Protection Board, once again is encouraging community groups and municipalities to participate in this “spring cleaning” event along the Canal System and the Canalway Trail. Last year more than 80 groups throughout the Canal Corridor, including municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, and businesses, engaged in clean up and beautification activities. We are seeking your assistance in making the 2010 Canal Clean Sweep an even bigger success by coordinating your own activity! Whether it’s picking up litter and brush on lock grounds or in a local canal park, or helping to remove debris or restore a section of Canalway Trail, your event will give local volunteers an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with their neighbors and Canal Corporation employees to enhance and preserve this tremendous environmental, cultural and historic resource.
To recognize your group’s participation, the Canal 
Corporation and Parks & Trails New York will be promoting all events with statewide press releases and also will provide event organizers with press release templates to customize for local media. In addition, Parks & Trails New York will maintain a comprehensive listing of events taking place throughout the weekend here on our website. As in the past, organizing groups will receive free Canal Clean Sweep tee shirts and the Canal Corporation will provide trash bagsand arrange for the disposal of collected and bagged trash. Local groups will be expected to provide their own tools and work gloves.
Use our online registration form or request one by contacting Wally Elton at canalsweep@ptny.org or (518) 434-1583. The deadline for registering your event is March 3. To help you plan your event, you can review events held in 2009.
Please note: To host an event on the Canal where the property is owned by the NYS Canal Corporation, your group must have a permit from the Canal Corporation in order to extend Workers Compensation coverage to volunteers. If you do not have one, we may be able to connect you with another group or municipality that does (or assist you with obtaining one). This requirement does not apply where the canal is owned by the local municipality, county or the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
29 Elk Street * Albany, NY 12207 * (ph) 518-434-1583 * (fax) 518-427-0067 * ptny@ptny.org
Parks & Trails New York is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as defined by the IRS.