Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and NPS Director Jon Jarvis among those serving in commemoration of Dr. King
(WASHINGTON, DC) January 11, 2016 – Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis will join more than 500 young volunteers from throughout the Capital region to conduct an extensive Anacostia River clean-up and honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The event – sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA) with support from American Express – will take place at Anacostia Park on Monday, January 18th, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and is part of the ongoing “Find Your Park” campaign marking the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.
“Service to nature advances Martin Luther King’s legacy as well as our quality of life,” states SCA President and CEO Jaime Matyas. “SCA is delighted that Secretary Jewell and Director Jarvis will spend the day with us. Their leadership, as well as that demonstrated by young people from every sector of the city, is vital for our communities and an enormously fitting tribute to Doctor King.”
Through their partnership, SCA and American Express are mobilizing thousands of volunteers to conserve and preserve parks across the United States. “Find Your Park” volunteer events celebrate the National Park Service’s 2016 Centennial and complement American Express’ multi-year partnership with the National Park Foundation to support the Department of the Interior’s plan to increase the number of volunteers serving in national parks and public lands to one million annually.
Anacostia Park is an urban oasis and an important recreational asset for Southeast community residents featuring ballfields, tennis courts, hiking trails and Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. Regrettably, 20 tons of litter wind up in the river each year, and SCA volunteers and Southeast neighbors will remove trash and debris from a large portion of the Anacostia’s 8.5 miles of shoreline.
Participants will be provided with a free lunch and an SCA “Find Your Park” tee shirt. Register online at http://FindYourParkSCAdc.eventbrite.com.
Volunteers are asked to meet at the Skating Pavilion at Anacostia Park, 1500 Anacostia Drive SE.
