Chesapeake Bay Foundation announces annual Clean the Bay Day date

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's annual Clean the Bay Day has announced that registration is now open, with some cleanup locations in Richmond.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has announced that its annual Clean the Bay Day has returned, with registration now open. However, it will now be on a new date -- Saturday, May 2.

The Clean the Bay Day was launched in 1989 and has become the largest single-day volunteer clean-up effort in Virginia each year, according to the release. There will be more than 200 cleanup sites across the state, with several locations in Richmond.

“For over three decades, Clean the Bay Day has been a powerful testament to the collective impact of community action,” said Lisa Renée Jennings, the CBF Hampton Roads outreach and advocacy manager.

“The event has been invaluable for improving the Bay watershed and strengthening public awareness of CBF’s effort to Save the Bay,” she added.

Traditionally, this event takes place on the first Saturday in June. However, it will be on the first Saturday in May to allow for more participants.

“This is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to give back -- just a few hours goes a long way," Jennings said. "The earlier date for this year’s event also means more schools will be in session for families thinking about participating together and we will be expecting beautiful peak spring weather.”

In 2025, around 3,500 volunteers and 70 CBF partners came together at over 200 sites to remove more than 70,000 pounds of trash, according to the release.

Since it began, Clean the Bay Day has had over 177,000 volunteers who have worked to remove more than 7.1 million pounds of debris from the land and waterways.

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Registration to volunteer opened on Monday, March 9 and will close Friday, April 17. Anyone can volunteer, and participants will sign up with the location they want to support. After registration, they will be assigned to a cleanup site based on the information used for signing up.

Clean the Bay Day this year will be on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit the CBF's website here.