Submitted
Volunteers from GlaxoSmithKline load bags of garbage for disposal after pulling the junk from along the shoreline of Jordan Lake on Tuesday. The cleanup effort involving some 150 GSK employees was part of the company’s annual, worldwide, volunteer day.
Volunteers from GlaxoSmithKline load bags of garbage for disposal after pulling the junk from along the shoreline of Jordan Lake on Tuesday. The cleanup effort involving some 150 GSK employees was part of the company’s annual, worldwide, volunteer day.
From staff reports
PITTSBORO -- Some 150 GlaxoSmithKline employees swarmed over the shoreline of Jordan Lake for four hours on Tuesday to remove the stains left by careless disposal of trash, according to Fran DiGiano and Tom Colson, co-founders of Clean Jordan Lake.
This was one of the pharmaceutical company's "Orange Day" events, during which employees around the globe do community service on an annual paid day off. The aim is to create a culture of volunteerism within the community and to inspire GSK employees to form long-term volunteer relationships with nonprofits.
Not only do GSK employees benefit from the team-building experience, but the nonprofit groups receive help with projects at no cost.
Clean Jordan Lake was fortunate enough this year to be selected by GSK in RTP for the company's local Orange Day. It also provided an opportunity to show that cooperation among many public agencies that are stakeholders in preserving Jordan Lake can pay off.
Clean Jordan Lake also received assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.C. Wildlife Commission, N.C. Forestry Service, N.C. Department of Transportation, Big Sweep Program, and Chatham County Waste Management.
GSK employees collected 350 bags along just 2,000 feet of shoreline close to where the Haw River empties into the lake, carrying with it tons of trash during storm events. The garbage collected is enough to fill two large Dumpsters.
Volunteers also removed 150 tires (some still on the rim) and even one refrigerator. Another GSK group tackled three small segments of shorelines that are heavily used for recreation outside of the state park grounds.
While these account for less than one mile of the 180 miles of shoreline, 100 bags were filled with diapers, bottles, cans, commercial bait cups, glass shattered on the beach, clothing, a tent and sundry other cast-offs.
Anyone is welcome to volunteer at Clean Jordan Lake's next cleanup event set for Oct. 9. See www.CleanJordanLake.org for more details.
