May 1, 2009 – The St. Croix Foundation has launched its Litter and Beautification Initiative, which will provide youth groups the opportunity to beautify their community before the Ironman Triathlon while earning money for group activities. Funded by a donation from West Indian Company Limited (WICO), the program will award grants up to $2000 to individual groups. They will have the option to conduct a one-time clean up of a local roadside, beach, playground or vacant lot, or they can identify an area that needs periodic cleaning and perform a number of clean ups over time.
So far, the Seventh-day Adventist School basketball team is cleaning Hospital Street to Altona Lagoon, and girl scouts are cleaning from Schooner Bay Market to Cheeseburger in Paradise.
"The foundation believes that by involving youth groups in the Litter and Beautification Program, we are maximizing our grant making and doing more for our community than simply cleaning the roadsides and beautifying our beaches. Through this initiative, the foundation also seeks to provide constructive and meaningful opportunities for our young people to earn money for their civic groups while serving as ambassadors for the anti-litter cause," said St. Croix Foundation President Roger Dewey.
All interested non-profit youth groups are invited to contact Stennett Dariah of the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898 to obtain an application or to get more information on the program.
