As a way for people to share river preservation stories and learn about watershed issues, Tom’s of Maine is having its first-ever “River Stories” video contest, highlighting those who are working to protect our rivers.

Tom’s of Maine has been a long-standing river advocate since creating its first product in 1970, a non-polluting phosphate-free laundry detergent called Clearlake. Did you know that about 50% of the drinking water in the United States comes from rivers? Or that 40% of America’s rivers, lakes, and estuaries are unsuitable for such basic uses as fishing and swimming? And 218 million Americans live within 10 miles of a polluted lake, river, stream, or coastal area? Those are some serious facts and reasons to protect our rivers and honor those who are working toward this goal every day.

Here’s how to submit (by October 31!) your original video outlining the steps that are being made to make a positive impact upon rivers in your community:
• Document a local river story on video
• Log onto www.tomsofmaine.com and click on ‘River Stories Video Contest ’ link to complete the online entry form
• Visit www.youtube.com to set up a free account and confirm login information
• A valid email address is required to create an account
• Go to www.youtube.com/group/riverstories and click JOIN THIS GROUP to submit the entry
• Video entries should not exceed 10 minutes and/or 100 MB in size, and must comply with YouTube submission guidelines
• For complete contest rules visit www.tomsofmaine.com

Grand Prize:
One grand prize winner will be awarded a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid

All photos by Tim Palmer for Tom’s of Maine