On Friday evening, the weather in Melnragė was excellent, and more than 3000 people attended the festival opening. However, the latest forecasts showed that strong winds would reach the seaside earlier than expected.
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On Saturday, wind gusts of 15–20 m/s are forecasted at the seaside. Since some cleanup routes pass through wooded areas and near trees, under such conditions the organizers cannot ensure the safety of participants.
“Just last night we had great weather and started the festival with more than 3000 people. This morning the situation changed – a storm is coming, and with such wind gusts we cannot allow participants on routes that go through wooded areas. It’s very unfortunate because this year we had record interest, but participant safety is the most important,” says Edvardas Baltuška, communications manager of “Mes Darom.”
Almost 30 people came despite the rain
All registered participants were sent messages about the changes and asked not to come to the cleanup event on Saturday.
Nevertheless, almost 30 people were not afraid of the rain and arrived in Melnragė on Saturday morning. The organizers’ team met them on site, and for safety reasons, the cleanup activities were limited to the open seaside area, avoiding wooded territories.
All other more than 800 registered participants are invited to join on Sunday.
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Saturday’s program is canceled
Due to dangerous weather conditions, the concerts planned for Saturday and all other festival activities – educational sessions, entertainment, and other program parts – are canceled.
Cleanup expected to continue on Sunday
The cleanup event is moved to Sunday and combined with a seaside hike. The organizers hope that most of the registered people will be able to come a day later.
On Sunday, participants are invited to gather from 11 a.m. near the café “Ateik Ateik,” Vėtros St. 8, in Melnragė. During the hike, participants will be encouraged to collect litter spotted along the way and clean the seaside area together.
“We really hope that most of the record cleanup team will be able to join on Sunday. Today, almost 30 people showed that the desire to do good deeds for nature is not lacking even in the rain. We invite everyone else to meet tomorrow,” adds E. Baltuška.
The organizers continue to monitor weather forecasts and will inform about any additional changes on “Mes Darom” social networks.
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