Clean-Up to Green-Up // #PickItUp2019

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Emeryville's strength has always been its size: we are small but mighty, tiny but nimble, overlooked and underestimated - we are a city that knows how to punch above our weight. Together, we have the ability to make a difference in our community.

Climate change is a threat to our community. As Climate Action Week kicks off in the Bay Area this Friday with a Bay Area Youth-Led Climate Strike demanding we protect the planet for their future, I have been asking myself the question: what will the planet we leave our children look like?

Many people ask about Emeryville's corporate citizens and the role they play in making our city a more livable, sustainable place. For the past 6 months, I have convened some of Emeryville's largest corporate citizens about coming together as our tiny city often does to show that a community like ours can make a difference. We are fortunate to have some great community partners in our city. I'm proud to announce that Emeryville businesses Amyris, Pixar Animation Studios, Grifols, Stasher Bags, IKEA Emeryville, Decathlon, Clif Bar, and Wareham Development, along with nonprofit partners Save the Bay and the Golden Gate Audubon Society are joining me for two days of civic action around improving our community's environmental health. (Details and registration info below flyer)

save the bay_v2.jpg

On Friday, September 20th, beginning at 9am, Emeryville corporations will roll up their sleeves for a friendly competition at Shorebird Park. Compete with other businesses in a beach clean-up aimed at removing waste from our bay and shoreline, protecting wildlife. Dump the office for a few hours with your coworkers and come show us nobody can remove trash better than you! Our partners and sponsors have some special prizes in store for category winners that will include "King/Queen of Trash" to the team that removes the most waste from the beach, a Forky-themed Gift Bag from Pixar for the "Most Bizarre Trash" recovered, and more!

REGISTER FOR CORPORATE SHORELINE CHALLENGE ON SEPTEMBER 20th BY EMAILING HERE

On Saturday, September 21st, show up at the IKEA Emeryville Garage at 8:30 to take part in a Swedish exercise activity called plogging. Run one of our three dedicated 5k routes and remove trash from our sidewalks and curbs as you go! There are event t-shirts to the first 100 registrants who show up for the event and we have give-aways for everyone who finishes the race. The best part is that you "plog" at your own pace. The goal is to have fun and make some friends while making our city cleaner. Special prizes await finishers, including music, food and a visit from pro surfer Greg Long. Raffle prizes from Stasher Bag, IKEA, Pixar, Decathlon and Clif Bar will make this an event for every local to enjoy. If at least 50 Emeryville residents register and participate on Saturday, I will randomly draw one of them for a full happy hour on me at the Emeryville establishment of their choice!

REGISTER FOR PLOGGING ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st HERE

Special prizes for the best Instagram and Twitter posts from either event with the hashtag #PickItUp2019!

One of the coveted Pixar Prize bags:

IMG_6754.jpg

And of course, if you'd prefer to do the Saturday morning coastal cleanup with the City of Emeryville, you should absolutely join the official city-sponsored event at 8:45am, which kicks off next to Alameda County Fire Station 34, located at 2333 Powell Street.

Come out and build community with your coworkers and neighbors this weekend. I look forward to seeing you on the beach or on the plogging course!

Cheers,

John