By Emily Moffett
emoffett@eagletribune.com
April 10, 2009 03:15 am SALEM, N.H. — Paula Morrison, a registered nurse and cofounder of the Clean River Project, got the surprise of her life yesterday. Standing on her porch with family and other project members, Morrison didn't know they considered her a hero — until she got a call from her own hero. Former TV talk show host Jenny Jones gave Morrison a surprise call, shocking her with $10,000 to put toward her project. Family and friends helped organize the surprise to thank her for all she does for the community. Since 2005, Morrison has been working with volunteers to clean up the Merrimack River, but without the right equipment. The group works on their days off, taking aluminum pontoon boats into the river to locate cars, trash and other debris that pollutes the water. Every Saturday for the last four years, the volunteers have spent the day skimming the water and helping state police remove large objects from the river. Morrison said the project has been trying to find funding for a flotation boom, a net that catches trash and debris polluting the water. Earlier this year, she applied for a $10,000 grant on Jones' Web site to pay for the boom. But Morrison wasn't expecting a call from Jones yesterday. Her husband, Rocky, sent her a phony letter saying she would be receiving a $5,000 check from the Department of Environmental Protection. Instead, family and friends stood by as she received a call from her idol. "I was so shocked," Morrison said. "When I never heard back, I thought she forgot about me." Morrison said the $10,000 would pay for the boom. But that wasn't the best part. Jones also arranged for Morrison to have the day off from work at Lawrence General Hospital to celebrate, a gift Morrison said was almost as exciting as the money. Jones said she was happy to give whatever she could to a person so giving. "I gave away $1 million last year and that was going to be it," Jones said in a telephone interview yesterday. "But it was so successful and so rewarding, and I saw how much good was being done and then the economy turned bad, and I knew I had to keep going with it." Amy Foote, 29, is an active member of the Clean River Project. "We do anything from diving down for tires to waste disposal," she said. "I don't think anybody realizes how much gets in the water, and how much the quality of water affects everyone." Jones said she understands the importance of clean water, and knew she had to help. "Rocky told me how many cars and refrigerators end up in the river," she said. "It was a complete no-brainer. Sometimes I struggle to pick a cause to give the money to. Not this time." Jones said she had no doubts about choosing Morrison's application. "Because it's all my own money, from my bank account, I want to make sure that it's going to the right causes," Jones said. "I read all the applications. I check to see how many people will benefit from it. And when I saw how many people benefit from this project, approximately 300,000 people live in the communities near the Merrimack, I didn't have to think twice. It absolutely had to be done." Though Morrison told Jones she was excited to hear from one of her heroes, Jones said Morrison was the one who deserved recognition. "She's already a hero in so many ways," Jones said. "She's a working mom, she volunteers to help the environment, she's a nurse, and she took the time to make the request. ... I'm hoping people will hear about her efforts and take her lead." ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com
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