Interested parties are being sought for #OptOutside Community Volunteer Day on the Esplanade on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 9 to 11 a.m.
A partnership between REI Co-op and the Esplanade Association, the Volunteer Day will involve cleaning up and removing litter from along the Esplanade’s parkland and shorelines in honor of REI’s #OptOutside initiative.
Michael Nichols, executive director of the Esplanade Association, described the upcoming event as an “outgrowth” of the “multiple-years-long partnership between REI and the Esplanade Association aimed at outdoor recreation, as well as on park beautification.”
REI, said Nichols, is “one of the leading companies, if not the leading company, in the country that sponsors events that are good for the environment on Black Friday, as opposed to having events having a commercial focus on that day.”
Nichols added, “They’re really the first company to look to have people focus not on commercialization and on retail on Black Friday, but to support community events on that day and in the month of November, and this Volunteer Day with the Esplanade Association is a great partnership towards that goal.”
Monika Bach, REI’s regional manager local marketing for New England, said, “The Charles River Esplanade plays an important role for all of us in the city, especially as we continue to prioritize time spent outside. As one of our local grant partners, the Esplanade Association receives funding from REI to support their mission to sustain green space for the community. During the upcoming #OptOutside Volunteer Day, our local co-op team is excited to join our neighbors in the community to help keep one of our favorite local places clean and safe for everyone.”
Registration for this event is capped at 50 people and can be found at OptOutsideEsplanade.eventbrite.com. Day-of meeting location will be shared via email a few days prior to the event.