Date: September 19, 2007

Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Climbing Association invite the public to participate in the "Yosemite Facelift" September 26-30, 2007. This annual event is organized by the Yosemite Climbing Association to help clean up the park after the long and busy summer season. Volunteers are needed to pick up litter at various locations in Yosemite National Park including on roadways, in the river corridor, on trails, near climbing routes, and in parking, camping, and lodging areas. Events and presentations honoring Yosemite's climbing history will be held throughout the weekend.

Last year, over 1,100 Yosemite Facelift volunteers donated 9,256 hours and collected 25,000 pounds of trash.

Interested volunteers should sign in at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center at 8:00 am on days that they wish to participate. Crew leaders will be at the Visitor Center to organize work groups and hand out trash bags, gloves, and litter sticks. Trash must be returned to the Valley Visitor Center by 5:00 pm to be weighed and sorted.

Volunteers participating in the clean-up will receive free admission to the park.

Each participant will receive a raffle ticket for every day that they volunteer. The raffle will be held at a special reception for all participants in the East Auditorium behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, please contact Ken Yager at yager@inreach.com, or visit the Yosemite Climbing Association website at www.yosemiteclimbing.org.

People who are unable to participate during the clean up can also help by making a monetary donation to help pay for the clean up effort. Donations can be made to the Yosemite Climbing Association, PO Box 89, Yosemite, California, 95389.