East Moline, IL/October 10, 2013 - Chad Pregracke, President & Founder of Living Lands & Waters, a Quad City-based not-for-profit, organization dedicated to cleaning up the Mississippi River, has been named to the final 10 for CNN's Hero of the Year.
The contest is sponsored by CNN and designed to support and recognize people and organizations who put themselves before others. To view the contestants, and vote for Pregracke, visit, www.CNNHeroes.com, click "vote now". You can vote via email and/or through Facebook. Voting is limited to once a day per person and closes Sunday, November 17th at 11:59pm PST.
"This is a real honor to be one of the finalists for this reward, however I know this organization would not be what it is without the media's support. Without their help in getting the message out about what people can do to clean their own rivers and streams, we wouldn't be able to make the progress we have. This effort literally takes thousands of volunteers and the media has helped us rally those volunteers and have made a real difference," expresses Pregracke.
Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive a $50,000 grant. One of the honorees, as voted by fans around the globe, will be named the CNN Hero of the Year and will receive an additional $250,000 grant to further aid their cause. Voting for the 2013 honorees can be done at www.CNNHeroes.com. Voters will also be able to view the honorees' profiles on the site.
For the latest information about the Top 10 CNN Heroes, viewers and online users are encouraged to visit CNN Heroes on Facebook, follow @CNNHeroes on Twitter and use the hashtag #CNNHeroes.
About Chad Pregracke
Chad Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America's major rivers and to the education of people about environmental issues. From his single boat beginning, LL&W has grown to an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats. LL&W engages thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental education workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a-River-Mile programs and the Million Trees Project.
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