Sharen Trembath

2005 Winner – Environmental Category
Age: 60
Hometown: Angola, NY
Nominated by: Jenna Barney, daughter

Sharen Trembath has dedicated herself to cleaning up medical waste along the shoreline of Lake Erie for more than 15 years. In the late 1980s, after writing to 25 different agencies -- from local health departments to the Environmental Protection Agency -- and receiving no response, Trembath contacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and signed up to be part of the International Coastal Cleanup. Later, she started the Great Lakes Beach Sweep, which cleaned up one mile of beach during its first year and expanded to 11 miles of clean-up in the second.

The project continued to grow as more and more people heard about the Beach Sweep and wanted to be involved. Today, Trembath coordinates the clean-up of 95 miles of New York State shoreline. Last year, she and 2,344 western New Yorkers, from age 3 to 95, picked up and removed 26,924 pounds of trash from the Lake Erie Shoreline and surrounding watersheds.

Sixty schools used the project as a way to teach students about the importance of a clean shoreline and volunteerism. Held every September, the Great Lakes Beach Sweep is now 17 years old. Incredibly, Trembath still operates this giant volunteer effort on an annual budget of less than $500.

Trembath has worked endlessly for the environment and truly does "Stand On A Better World." We are honored to recognize her as the Winner in the Environmental Category.

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