Big
Jump
History of the project
1997
: In the context of the Living Elbe project (Main partners:
Deutsche Umwelthilfe and Gruner+Jahr), Roberto Epple initiates
the First
international Elbe Swimming Day : 14 July 2002, 2
PM ! 5 years before the event no body could believe that the
river Elbe would become the longest freshwater beach (at least
for one day). The river Elbe was in 1989 the most polluted river
in Europe !
2002
: 14 of July: The First international Elbe Swimming Day was
a big success.(55 swimmingplaces along 1000 km from the spring
(Czech Republik) to Hamburg). 100 000 citizens celebrated the
River Elbe.
2002
: After the big success, ERN European Rivers Network plans a
european wide River swimming day, the so called BIG JUMP. The
feasibility study was positive.
2003
: ERN starts the preparation of the campaign (ateliers, workshops,
promoting tour through Europe)
2004
: 17th of July, ERN announces by press
release officially the
BIG JUMP 2005 -2010 - 2015
and the official multilingual Website www.bigjump.org
is opened !
2005 : The preparatory phase starts. WWF, EEB
(EEB : European Environmental Bureau regrouping European NGO's)
and RhineNet
(EU interreg Program) supports Big Jump. Many regional partners
join BJ !
2005
: 17.07.05
: Big Jump 2005 - the First European River Swimming Day - was
a phantastic river celebration !! Estimated 200-300 000 participants
across Europe ! Thank you ! Extraordinary participation in Big
Jump: 31 rivers, 22 countries, 216 official actions, 240 spontaneous
non official jumps, 250 000 people,
extraordinary coverage by media
2007
: (intermediary year) A serie of local Big Jumps are launched
in regions with low partizipation in 2005 as well as a preversion
of a mediterranean BJ ! : Date July 15 , 3 pm ( GMT +
2) !
More then 120
Big Jump in 15 countrys was
realized - again a great success !
2008 : BJ all over. ! Good partizipation ! We are working
on a report on that event
The
preparations for the next official BJ (big size) in 2010 started
!
