From the folks at Friends of the Falls:
The 8th Annual Spokane River Clean-Up will take place Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. This longstanding tradition of clean-up includes the Spokane River Gorge starting at High Bridge Park and the University District. The event comes together each year through the coordination efforts of Friends of the Falls–which works to engage people directly with the Spokane River so they will love it and work to keep it clean, safe and accessible for generations to come–with the assistance of dozens of partner organizations. Online registration is open now at www.friendsofthefalls.org. Advance registration helps the organizers plan for sufficient supplies; walk-in registrants are welcome the day of the event. Organizers urge participants to avoid driving, as parking at High Bridge Park is extremely limited. Free bus passes are given to volunteers who bus from SFCC to High Bridge and back, with STA busses running every 15 minutes starting at 8:30 a.m. A free staffed bike corral is available at High Bridge Park.
The Spokane River Clean-up has become a civic tradition, enabling hundreds of people each year to affirm a sense of stewardship and community pride for the Spokane River and the natural areas along its banks. Results last year: 750+ people, over eight tons of trash, over two tons of it recycled. Organizers project turnout of close to 1,000 this year.
The “Most Interesting Trash Competition” will return this year, with Spokesman-Review columnist Doug Clark as a judge. There are four categories—“useful/valuable,” “beautiful/pretty,” “interesting article of clothing,” and “characteristic of Spokane” will fill the picnic shelter at High Bridge Park.
This year’s event coincides with National Public Lands Day, takes place the day before World Rivers Day on Sept. 26, and it falls during Sustainable September Spokane. The Lands Council is organizing one of its September tree-planting efforts in conjunction with the clean-up, and is encouraging people to consider donating to Friends of the Falls in support of the clean-up.
The Spokane River Clean-Up is made possible by event sponsors and the contributions of many community partners.
