Adventure with Mercedes

Donate / Volunteer

Adventures of Hope:

Fueled by Mercedes

Mercedes environmental team members display an Earthbound’s Earthfest poster as lead sponsors of that annual concert fundraiser for Black Warrior Riverkeeper.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper relies heavily on its members (volunteers and donors) to help us protect and preserve the Black Warrior watershed. Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc has been one of our biggest supporters.  This year, as they celebrate their 20th year in Alabama, Mercedes featured Black Warrior Riverkeeper in an environmental video on their website.

As our executive director Charles Scribner said in a recent interview with Bham Now, “Mercedes-Benz U.S. International has been one of the Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s major donors for many years.  They are perennially the lead sponsor of our concert fundraiser at Avondale Brewing Company, Earthbound’s Earthfest. They also annually convene dozens of top environmental organizations to educate hundreds of their employees about conservation. Alabama is blessed to have such a generous and responsible company creating so many excellent jobs and partnerships for our state.”

While Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc has earned many environmental accolades, its award winning water treatment partner, MacLellan, merits a good part of the spotlight too. Black Warrior Riverkeeper applauds MacLellan for their efforts in wastewater treatment at Mercedes.

Wastewater treatment is a process used to convert wastewater, water that has already been used, into water that can be returned to the water cycle with minimal environmental issues. Why is wastewater treatment important? Well, water affects our quality of life. When filtered water is returned to rivers after being treated in a facility, fish and plants — not to mention fishermen and swimmers — rely on that water to be clean. Health concerns arise when water isn’t cleaned properly and carries certain bacteria. Inadequate wastewater treatment results in rivers and lakes whose diminished water quality will require more rigorous (and therefore costly) filtration for conversion to public drinking water.

MacLellan employee Haley Farris presents a generous donation to Black Warrior Riverkeeper at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International.

MacLellan began its work in Vance, Alabama in 2004. Its wastewater treatment specialist, Kevin Begin, is a highly valued member of Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s Advisory Council. MacLellan has also supported our efforts to protect the Black Warrior watershed from pollution by frequently donating to our cause, just like Mercedes itself. Mercedes and MacLellan have formed a potent partnership benefitting Alabama’s economy and environment. Here’s to their next 20 years!

Author Hope Runyan, a senior at The University of Alabama, has received a grant from the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation to work with Black Warrior Riverkeeper. Runyan, a senior majoring in public relations, works for the organization as a communications intern throughout the summer. The grant, provided by a partnership between the Munson Foundation and The University of Alabama’s Department of Advertising and Public Relations, is the highest award given to a student in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. Read about all of Hope’s internship adventures here: blackwarriorriver.org/adventures-of-hope

Share Button