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“The River Rescuer” follows Chad from his carefree childhood to the early days of his solitary cleanups and the founding of Living Lands and Waters, a conservation organization that has cleared tons of garbage from rivers across our nation, and how his passion for conservation brought Chad to a river clean up in Africa.
The inspiring story of
the difference a single individual can make and the
leadership that inspires others to do their part cleaning America’s
backyard, one piece of garbage, one river at a time.
The program is narrated by Tom Wopat (remembered as “Luke Duke” on the “Dukes of Hazzard” and a Tony nominee for “Annie Get Your Gun” with Bernadette Peters).
“Chad Pregracke—The River Rescuer” has won a CINE Golden Eagle Award, First Place Public Affairs from the Iowa Broadcast News Association and was a Telly Award finalist.
WQPT PRODUCES DOCUMENTARY
ON CHAD PREGRACKE
MOLINE, ILLINOIS
Contact: Lora Adams @ 309/796-2424 or e-mail, adamsl@bhc.edu
WQPT—Quad Cities PBS presents a new documentary featuring the life of local environmentalist, Chad Pregracke. “The River Rescuer” follows the story of Chad Pregracke, the Quad Citian who has received numerous awards and national recognition for his environmental work. By the summer of 2004, the organization he founded - Living Lands and Waters - has cleaned over 1150 tons of debris from the shoreline of rivers across our nation.
“Chad Pregracke: The River Rescuer” is narrated by Tom Wopat, remembered from his role on the “Dukes of Hazard” and as a Tony nominee opposite Bernadette Peters in “Annie Get Your Gun.”
Lora Adams produced and wrote the script with co-producing and editing done by Brad Mosier. Former Quad Citian Thomas Hart, now a writer in California, shares writing credit with Adams. Ralph Iaccarino created original music for the biography.
The documentary features a combination of video shot by WQPT, as well as video acquired from other sources. Among them: CNN, ABC Australia, the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and the African Summit. It also features interviews with family members; his crew and local VIP's that had an influence on Chad's career.
“The documentary is a nice addition to our work at WQPT,” said WQPT General Manager, Rick Best. There has been a great deal of interest in Mr. Pregracke over the last several years and he has been featured in short stories both locally and nationally. “This is the first biography of Chad that focuses on him as a person and not just on his remarkable project,” said producer Lora Adams. “Chad Pregracke: The River Rescuer” was produced with funding provided by the Scott County Regional Authority.
“Chad Pregracke: The River Rescuer” has won a CINE Golden Eagle Award, First Place Public Affairs from the Iowa Broadcast News Association and was a finalist in the Telly Awards.
(Executive Producer: Rick Best - Producers: Lora Adams and Brad Mosier – Writers: Lora Adams and Thomas Hart)
Contact: Lora Adams, WQPT, 309/796-2424.
Running time is 00:28:40 minutes.
WQPT is a broadcast service of Black Hawk College located in Moline, Illinois.
Click on the thumbnails below to access the hi-res images.
Chad
Pregracke (Photo credit: Greg Boll)
River
Barge with collected trash
©2006 by WQPT. All rights reserved.
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"Chad Pregracke grew up in the Illinois Quad Cities area on the banks of the Mississippi River, as his home was only a few feet from the shoreline. The son of educators and river enthusiasts, KeeKee and Gary Pregracke, he spent the majority of his time on, in, and around the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. In 1998, he founded Living Lands & Waters, the not-for-profit environmental organization based in East Moline, Illinois. Today, there are ten paid staff members and a fleet of several barges and workboats. Thousands of volunteers have cooperated to help with the community cleanups, Riverbottom Forest Restoration and Adopt-a-Mississippi River Mile programs. Learn more by visiting the Living Lands and Waters website. |
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