Keeper Springs Brings Commitment to America's Waterways to the Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor

DOVER, Mass. and NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeper Springs Natural Spring Water, which donates 100% of its profits to support America's waterways, will return as the Official Water Sponsor and Recycling Partner of the 2011 National Harbor Food & Wine Festival, May 14-15, at National Harbor on the scenic Potomac River in Prince George's County, Maryland.

In 2010, Keeper Springs' participation in the Food & Wine Festival was the catalyst for bringing a recycling program to National Harbor for the first time.  Keeper Springs will once again be providing recycling bins for the 2011 National Harbor Food & Wine Festival.

The Keeper Springs Festival booth, centrally located on the Plaza across from the Beach Lounge, will distribute free bottled water and inform attendees about Keeper Springs' commitment to America's waterways, while serving as an advocate for the toughest recycling laws in the nation.  In addition, Keeper Springs will distribute free "Demand Recycling" bumper stickers made from recycled plastic and offer random drawings for the chance to win Keeper Springs t-shirts, made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as a grand prize recreational kayak valued at approximately $400.

"The reason we created Keeper Springs is to help protect and restore our waterways, such as the Potomac River," said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., environmental lawyer and advocate, and co-founder of Keeper Springs.  "The Potomac runs more than 380 miles and serves as a source of drinking water and recreation for people throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area.  We are thrilled to return to the National Harbor Food & Wine Festival and hope festival-goers will join our mission to demand recycling and help protect national treasures like the Potomac."

To date, Keeper Springs has donated more than $900,000 to the Waterkeeper® Alliance and to individual Keepers throughout the US.  The brand is proud to support the environmental heroes, like Potomac Riverkeeper, Ed Merrifield, who fight to protect waterways all over the world. Among the programs supported by Keeper Springs are the Potomac Riverkeeper Green Farms, Clean Rivers Program, which focused on small farms throughout watershed areas not subject to regulation to employ better environmental practices.

National Harbor celebrates the spring season with a waterfront food and wine festival emphasizing food and wine pairing, artisanal and organic products, and boutique wines. The event includes tastings, cooking demonstrations and educational seminars on culinary and wine trends, sustainability issues, and supporting local farmers and resources. The Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor will present more than 100 exhibitors representing the Chesapeake region's diverse restaurants, food crafters, wineries, breweries and wine and beer retailers. A bazaar-style emporium will feature gourmet foods, specialty wines, cutlery, glassware, handcrafted accessories, high-end kitchen equipment, cookware, and more.

National Harbor is located just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge along the Capital Beltway in Prince George's County, Maryland, just 10 minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. This waterfront community is currently home to six hotels (including the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, the largest such facility on the East Coast), nearly 500 residential units, a marina and scores of shops, restaurants and offices. It will eventually be comprised of over 10,000,000 square feet of development and 2,500 residential units. For more information, please visit www.nationalharbor.com

About Keeper Springs

Founded in 1999, Keeper Springs Natural Spring Water was launched by environmental lawyer and advocate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and two friends, John Hoving and Chris Bartle, with one mission: to help support, protect and restore our nation's waterways by donating 100% of profits to this cause.  The brand Keeper Springs is named to honor the keepers of the Waterkeeper® Alliance, environmental heroes who fight to protect waterways all over the world from polluters and degradation. To date, Keeper Springs is proud to have raised more than $900,000 to support America's waterways.

Keeper Springs uses only 100% natural and sustainable spring water, sourced and bottled locally, and keeps our carbon footprint to a minimum by using LEED-certified bottling plants and shipping our water no more than 500 miles from our springs.  In addition, Keeper Springs uses bottles made from at least 50% recycled PET...and is working towards a 100% recycled bottle.  Keeper Springs also supports the most comprehensive recycling legislation and has spent over a decade helping to fight for better regulation, tough penalties and solutions. Keeper Springs is available at beverage retailers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, and is expanding distribution on the West Coast. For more information, visit http://www.KeeperSprings.com.

SOURCE Keeper Springs Natural Spring Water