PRESS RELEASE. Update.
“World Rivers Day” 2024: WE CAN BLU IT! campaign Volunteering and sport in action in seven Italian cities: 30 m³ of waste collected by piùblu In Rome, the first edition of the Almaviva BLU RACE for the environment.
Rome, 25 September 2024 — On Sunday 22 September, on the occasion of World Rivers Day, the association piùblu promoted WE CAN BLU IT! across seven Italian cities — a collective clean-up action for the collection of plastics, microplastics and other waste polluting our river, marine and lake ecosystems and threatening our health. An activity made possible thanks to the collaboration of FIC — Italian Rowing Federation / Canottaggio Sociale and FICK — Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, through the participation of their athletes and club members.
In total, approximately 1,250 piùblu volunteers in Turin, Genoa, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bari and Messina took part in the clean-up action, which ran from 9:30 to 13:00. The athletes joined the clean-up with great enthusiasm: Carolina Foresti in Naples, Nicolò Di Tullio in Genoa, and Giovanni Ficarra in Messina.
The piùblu volunteers, wearing the piùblu BIO T-shirt, equipped with gloves, long rakes and Basiliotti eco-friendly bags (each made from 2.5 recycled plastic bottles), organised themselves into groups to take action from land, alongside many others who by canoe, SUP, small boats, eight-oared gigs, rafting dinghies and other watercraft collected floating waste.
In 4 hours the piùblu volunteers collected approximately 30 m³ of waste.
The piùblu operational base was set up in Rome at the Circolo Ondina, where approximately 300 external volunteers cleaned a stretch of the river TIBER from Ponte Risorgimento to Ponte dell’Olimpica. Of particular note was the extraordinary participation of 20 women from the W.O.W. Rowing Team who, to the motto WE CAN BLU IT!, set off from below Ponte Milvio on board two rafting dinghies, tackling the rapids of the Tiber to pull plastics from the branches of trees — and recovering a large refrigerator that posed a hazard both to the environment and to navigation.
For the members of the 16 Rome clubs that joined the clean-up, the meeting point was at their respective premises, with the participation of around another 250 operational volunteers at the clubs: Canottieri Aniene, Canottieri Roma, Canottieri Lazio, Canottieri Tre Ponti, Deportivo, Centro Remiero Baja, Reale Circolo Canottieri Tevere Remo, ASD Canottieri Navalia, Canottieri Tirrenia Todaro, Centro Sportivo Rai, Esteri, Effe, Tiber, Salvo D’Acquisto, Ponte Milvio.
Approximately 10 m³ of waste were collected by piùblu volunteers on the Tiber and immediately removed by AMA.
“At piùblu we believe that every small gesture can have an immense impact on our planet. Our mission is clear: to unite people in a collective movement for the protection of marine, lake and river ecosystems. Because only by acting together can we leave a cleaner, healthier world for future generations” — declares Roberto Montanari, president of the environmental association piùblu — who goes on to say: “Seeing such impressive turnout from young and old alike at our first national clean-up action, supported by the energy of the athletes and club members in canoe and rowing, gives us great hope in this direction.” The Rome clean-up day on the river Tiber concluded at the Circolo Canottieri Aniene with the first edition of the “Almaviva BLU RACE”, promoted by piùblu in collaboration with the Italian Rowing Federation, Canottaggio Sociale and the Lazio Regional Rowing Committee.
The Almaviva BLU RACE, organised thanks to the passion of Domitilla Baffigo, Vice-President of piùblu, was the first “Match Race” competition to see women and men of three generations rowing together in the same boats (eight-oared gigs) to send an important message of support for the environment. Full success for this first edition, which saw 12 mixed crews with 98 rowers competing to the motto of piùblu “WE CAN BLU IT!”. Making the charity race for the environment even more special was the participation of the great athlete Giacomo Perini, who presented the prizes alongside the President of Almaviva, Alberto Tripi. The coveted medal of the first edition of the Almaviva BLU RACE went to the crews of the Circolo Canottieri Aniene, who took first place, and the two crews of the Circolo Ondina, who claimed second and third place on the podium.
Future piùblu plans:
While awaiting the WE CAN BLU IT! 2025 edition, piùblu’s activities will continue throughout the year with new clean-up actions to restore all the waterways where the association can intervene, and by continuing to deliver environmental education lessons aimed at new generations.
For all updates: www.piublu.org
Press office piùblu: M. Chiara Verdacchi – mariachiara.verdacchi@gmail.com – +39 375 5299924