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22nd Annual Rend Lake Cleanup a Big Success!

The 22nd annual Rend Lake Cleanup was held at Rend Lake on Saturday, October 11th, 2008. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Benton Kiwanis Club Foundation sponsored the event. The Rend Lake Cleanup is a community supported event with monetary support for the event coming from donations to the Benton Kiwanis Club Foundation. The 2008 major sponsors for the event include: Fresenius Medical Care, Carbondale; Tyler Toyota, Mt. Vernon; Pepsi of Marion;
Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative, Eldorado; Bombardier Recreation
Products of Southern Illinois, Benton; Wal Mart SuperCenters in West
City/Benton, Mt. Vernon, Marion, and DuQuoin; Crownline Boats; Sam's Club of
Marion; and People's National Bank of Benton and Mt. Vernon.

During the 2008 Rend Lake Cleanup/National Public Lands Day Celebration approximately 450 volunteers from all over southern Illinois participated. These volunteers picked up an estimated 3500 pounds of litter from the shoreline and roadways surrounding Rend Lake. Volunteers included family groups; Boy, Girl & Cub Scouts; Southern Illinois University Carbondale students; clubs; AMERICORPS; companies; and many more individuals and organizations.

Following the litter pickup volunteers were treated to lunch served by the Benton Kiwanis Club Foundation and a prize raffle. All volunteers received a commemorative tee shirt.

For more information about volunteering at Rend Lake call the Rend Lake Project
Office at 618-724-2493.

A big THANK YOU to all the wonderful volunteers and sponsors of this event! You have helped to beautify one of the “Seven Wonders of Illinois” http://www.enjoyillinois.com/3-day/getawaywonders.aspx

Also a big thank you to the SIUC Geography Club
http://www.geography.siu.edu/geog_club/default.html

Check out photos from the day below.