Secretary Gale Norton to Applaud Successful Volunteer Pledge Drive Amid Rose Bowl Parade Floats

New Year's Resolution Pledge Drive Nets Nearly 400,000 Volunteer Hours for Restoration of Fire Ravaged Southern California

U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton will mark the culmination of a "New Year's Resolution Volunteer Pledge Drive" to encourage volunteers to participate in California fire-restoration projects on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003, in Pasadena.

Take Pride in America and the Southern California Friends of Take Pride, along with many other partners worked to sign up nearly 400,000 pledge hours from citizens.

The pledge drive also received support from Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, the Good Sam Club, the San Diego Chargers, the Los Angeles Clippers and many others.

New Year's Day, Secretary Norton, along with Take Pride in America Executive Director Marti Allbright and kids from Wonderful Outdoor World, will ride horseback in support of the Tournament of Roses Parade and encourage Californians to help restore badly damaged public lands.

WHO: Gale A. Norton, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
            Marti Allbright, Executive Director, Take Pride in America
            Bill Bogaard, Mayor of Pasadena
            Sue Bray, Executive Director, Good Sam Club
            John Stewart, Director Environmental Affairs, United Four Wheel Drive Associations

WHAT: Take Pride in America's "New Year's Resolution Volunteer Pledge Drive" encourages
               volunteers to spend 10 hours each in the great outdoors - improving their health and fire
               ravaged Southern California.

WHEN: Dec. 31, 2003, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Rosemont Pavilion (proximate to the Rose Bowl stadium)
                  700 Seco Street
                  Pasadena, Calif.
                  (626) 799-5985

Take Pride in America is a national partnership that aims to seek, support and recognize volunteers who work to improve our national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands, cultural and historic sites, playgrounds and other recreation areas. With close to 100 partners, Take Pride involves federal, state and local government, conservation and recreation organizers and top national corporations and organizations. Together, we protect and enhance the special legacy all Americans share - our public lands that cover one in every three acres across the nation. Find out more about volunteering and Take Pride in America at www.takepride.gov.