Breakfast of Champions 2023
You are invited to attend Clean Water Action's 21st Annual Breakfast of Champions on Friday, May 12th, 2023 at 9:30am. Every spring, we recognize Rhode Island environmental leaders - from grassroots organizers to elected officials. After three years of virtual gatherings, we are excited to announce that this year’s event will be in person at the beautiful Aspray Boat House, 2 E View St, Warwick, RI 02888. Please join us to honor this year’s deserving awardees and enjoy breakfast with Rhode Island’s environmental leaders and allied elected officials.
All proceeds from the Breakfast of Champions benefit Clean Water Action's local programs to protect drinking water, fight climate change, improve public health, elect environmental champions, and reduce single-use plastic pollution.
Register or become a sponsor below. If you purchased an ad, please email your artwork to bdickerson@cleanwater.org no later than Friday, May 5th, 2023. Artwork should be a high-resolution PDF, PNG, or EPS file.
If you would prefer to mail a check, please print and enclose this form.
Presenting: Clean Water Action’s 2023 Environmental Champions
- Rupert Friday - 2023 David R. Gerraughty Award for Lifetime Commitment to the Environment - Rupert has worked in the environmental field since he was a naturalist and environmental educator in the early 1970s. He was the first Executive Director for the Rhode Island Land Trust Council from May 2003 until he retired in July 2021 and grew the organization into a respected voice for land protection and the environment. Rupert also worked on policy as a member of the Environment Council of RI, using his broad knowledge and political acumen to benefit the entire Rhode Island environmental movement. His efforts preserved land and watersheds that will be enjoyed by generations of Rhode Islanders.
- Patrick Crowley, Secretary-Treasurer for the RI AFL-CIO - Climate Advocate of the Year - Secretary-Treasurer Crowley helped form and co-leads the Climate Jobs RI coalition of labor and environmental organizations which successfully advocated for Rhode Island’s Act on Climate and our state’s ambitious commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2033. Through the coalition, he continues to advocate for a just transition to an equitable, pro-worker, pro-climate green economy for the working people of Rhode Island.
- Alex Kuffner, Providence Journal - Excellence in Environmental Journalism - Alex Kuffner has been a critical source of Rhode Island environmental reporting with stories highlighting the transition to clean energy, covering the passage of legislation regulating PFAS, and investigating Rhode Island’s recycling rate.
- Zachary Pinto, Vice President of Black Lives Matter RI PAC - Emerging Environmental Leader of the Year - Zachary Pinto is a senior at Shea High School in Pawtucket. He began his environmental activism journey working with Groundwork RI, and he is being awarded for his work advocating to improve the urban environmental landscape, including protecting and maintaining the urban tree canopy, particularly where Black and Brown people reside. He has most recently been fighting to Save Morley Field, the only youth sports field and public recreational green space in the Pawtucket neighborhood of Woodlawn.
- Senator Meghan Kallman - 2023 Legislative Champion - Senator Kallman has been leading the charge for better and more equitable transit in Rhode Island, including the new fare-free R-Line. She is also the Senate sponsor of the Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act of 2023.
- Representative Terri-Denise Cortvriend - 2023 Legislative Champion - Rep. Cortvriend is a leader in the fight against toxic PFAS pollution and led efforts to pass the 2022 ban on PFAS in food packaging. She is also the House sponsor of the Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act of 2023.
- Representative Carol Hagan McEntee - 2023 Legislative Champion - Rep. McEntee is a leader in the fight against plastic pollution and was the lead sponsor of the recently-passed single-use bag ban. She is the lead sponsor this year of the Rhode Island ‘Bottle Bill.’
- Representative June Speakman - 2023 Legislative Champion - Rep. Speakman, another stalwart environmental leader fighting PFAS in Rhode Island, led efforts to pass state-level drinking water standards for PFAS. She is leading the charge this year to get PFAS out of firefighting equipment.
Congratulations to all of our 2023 Champions, as well as our previous awardees!
To ensure everyone's safety, Clean Water Action requires that all guests at in-person events have received a Covid-19 vaccination. We also recommend, but do not require, that guests wear a mask when not eating or drinking.
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