FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WILMINGTON, Del. — Not far from Cooch’s Bridge, the site of Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battle, volunteers with the Christina River Watershed Cleanup will be waging a war of a different kind on April 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There and at 10 other sites, hundreds of recruits will be collecting more than 20 tons of debris from waterways ranging from the Christina River in the south to Naamans Creek in the north. And just like the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, able-bodied volunteers are needed at the ready.

“In this case, the impostor is far more resilient than any Red Coat our ancestors might’ve faced,” said Edward Cooch, president of the Christina Conservancy and a descendant of Colonel Thomas Cooch, the Delaware militia man for whom the bridge and battle are named. “Since ‘91, litterbugs have tossed almost 350 tons of trash into what is essentially their own backyard, and every year we get out there and clean it all up.”

Last year’s event successfully organized nearly 800 Delawareans — approximately 100 more than the force on hand at the historic 1777 battle. Among their finds were common castaways such as: tires by the truckload, appliances, yard furniture, recyclable materials like plastic and Styrofoam, and even a household safe or two.

“Nothing could be easier than volunteering for the cleanup,” said the event’s longtime Coordinator, Shirley Posey. “The whole affair is only four hours long, you can sign up on our website, and no one is forced to do anything they’re uncomfortable with.”

This year’s volunteers will each receive a free t-shirt that displays the winning drawing of the cleanup’s T-shirt Design Contest, which recently took place for the third year. The winning entry was drawn by 12th-grader, Jessica Willis, of Joe Pipari’s art class at Caravel Academy in Bear. Willis’s first-place prizes included $50 gift cards from A.C. Moore and Christiana Mall, 15 t-shirts displaying her drawing, and the use of her artwork in advertising.

Whenever possible, volunteers are encouraged to wear: brightly colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, and heavy-duty gloves. Insect repellent and sunscreen are also suggested, as are waders or hip boots at some sites.

Sponsors for this year’s event include the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Christina Conservancy, along with support from the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and various other agencies, businesses, and organizations from throughout the State of Delaware.