FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Capt. Bill Sheehan or Hugh Carola

Lyndhurst, NJ – This evening, Hackensack Riverkeeper hosted its Third Annual Friends of Hackensack Riverkeeper Awards Celebration & Benefit Auction. Commissioner Bradley Campbell of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection delivered the keynote address during which he praised the organization and its founder, Captain Bill Sheehan, for their "tireless devotion to the recovery of the Hackensack River."

This year's event took place at the newly-renovated Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst, on the campus of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC). After Captain Sheehan's welcome and Commissioner Campbell's address, this year's Friend of the Hackensack River awards were presented to:

• Richard Dwyer of Bayonne, Public Affairs Manager for Public Service Electric & Gas Company. Both Mr. Dwyer and PSE&G are longtime supporters of Hackensack Riverkeeper and its mission.
• John R. Quinn of Little Ferry, artist and author of Fields of Sun and Grass - An Artist's Journal of the New Jersey Meadowlands. Chief Naturalist at the NJMC, Mr. Quinn is also a former Trustee of Hackensack Riverkeeper.
• John Zuzeck of Waldwick, water quality enforcement official for the Northeast Bureau of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

This year, Hackensack Riverkeeper also bestowed two special honors for services rendered to the organization and on behalf of the River:

• Ms. Lisa Ryan of Ridgefield Park received Hackensack Riverkeeper's first Outstanding Volunteer Award for her work in establishing a system of riverfront cleanups throughout the watershed.
• Fairleigh Dickinson University received a special award for having provided Hackensack Riverkeeper with office space on its Teaneck campus from 1999 until this year when the organization moved to its new Hackensack location.

"The Friends we honor tonight have done and continue to do a tremendous amount of good work on behalf of the River and its people," said Capt. Sheehan, "They and Lisa are truly heroes of the watershed and we are in their debt." Speaking of Fairleigh Dickinson University, Capt. Sheehan said, "By giving us an address, FDU gave this organization the ability to grow and to reach people throughout the watershed.

As in previous years, WOR Radio personality Joe Bartlett presided over the evening's benefit auction during which thousands of dollars were raised to help support the ongoing work of Hackensack Riverkeeper. The evening's festivities also included a commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water Act, complete with cake, thirty candles and the singing of "Happy Anniversary to You."

Founded in 1997, Hackensack Riverkeeper advocates for the protection, preservation and restoration of the Hackensack River and its living resources. As such, the organization seeks what it calls the best "eco-logic" solutions to the problems unique to this urban watershed. Hackensack Riverkeeper is now recognized as the leading environmental organization working on Hackensack River issues.

Plans are already underway for next year's event.