For Immediate Release
April 17, 2009
Contact Information

Bernadette Morris
T:305-948-8063
F:305-948-8074
bmorris@sonshine.com

(BPRW) U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HOLDS EARTH DAY CELEBRATION IN PAHOKEE ON APRIL 25

(BLACK PR WIRE) (April 17, 2009) Miami, FL -- Each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District holds a special Earth Day celebration in south Florida in recognition of “living green” and promoting environmental stewardship. This year, the Corps of Engineers will host an Earth Day celebration in Pahokee. The event takes place on Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake Okeechobee Outpost, located at 190 North Lake Way in Pahokee, Fla. The event is free and open to the public.

This year’s highlight event includes the display of the original artworks from nearly 300 local elementary school students around the Lake Okeechobee area. This year’s drawings feature the “Critters of the Everglades!”

“We are delighted to have so many creative art designs from so many students in the area,” says Nanciann Regalado, outreach manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District. “Our overall goal is to make it a fun-filled learning experience, while raising awareness about the perils facing the Everglades and the plan to restore it.”

Schools participating in the “Critters of the Everglades” art project include: Belle Glade Elementary School, Central Elementary School in Okeechobee, City of Pahokee After School Program, Glades Academy of Agricultural & Ecological Studies in Pahokee, K.E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School, Moore Haven Elementary School, Pahokee Elementary School, Pioneer Park Elementary School in Belle Glade, Seminole Elementary School in Okeechobee and West Glades Elementary School in LaBelle.

Other highlights of the Earth Day 2009 celebration include games, informational materials, and a visit to the new marina. Adults and children alike will enjoy “Name That CERP Sound,” a fun and friendly spinning wheel game featuring colorful character critters of the Everglades such as gators, panthers, and birds. Enlarged cardboard cut-outs of the critters of the Everglades will be available for fun-filled photo opportunities. Plus, a custom van will be on hand to give attendees a multi-media tour of Lake Okeechobee and the issues it faces today. Visitors at the Earth Day celebration will receive Everglades-themed giveaways and informational material. Free hotdogs and beverages will be available.

Local businesses and organizations play a big role in the success of the day long event. In-kind supporters include the Brothers of Queen Esther Lodge # 61, the Lake Okeechobee Outpost, Save-A-Lot Food Store in Pahokee, and Thriftway Store of Pahokee.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency that specializes in the planning, engineering, construction and management of large infrastructure projects. Its Jacksonville District serves Florida and the Caribbean. Missions include flood damage reduction, water resources management, navigation, shore protection and restoration, environmental restoration, hazardous, toxic, and radioactive remediation, military support, and emergency response.

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a plan designed to save the Everglades, includes ecological improvements to be made over the next 30 years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading the federal effort to implement CERP, “the largest environmental restoration project in history.” The goal of CERP is to capture fresh water that now flows unused to the ocean and the gulf and redirect it to areas that need it most. The majority of the water will be devoted to environmental restoration, reviving a dying ecosystem. The remaining water will benefit cities and farms.

For details and more information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2009 Earth Day celebration, please call 1-877-CERP USA or Sonshine Communications at 305-948-8063.