Chad Pregracke is a modern day leader and proof that one person can make a difference.

What started as one man's crusade at age 23 to clean up the Mississippi River, has evolved into a cultural movement that had resulted in over 8 million pounds of garbage being cleaned out of America's rivers.

The vision and leadership skills that Chad possesses have inspired more than 70,000 people to volunteer their time and resources.Chad

has always loved the water, growing up in Hampton, Illinois with the Mississippi River literally in his backyard. His

family spent the majority of their time on, in and around the river. Chad's

first jobs were working on the river, as a commercial shell diver, commercial fisherman and barge hand. Working

on the river gave Chad a first hand and close up look at the shores that were littered with toxic trash. ^[0]