By Councilmember Bill Miranda
“Many hands make light work.” –John Heywood
To date, thousands of volunteers have collected over 422,000 pounds of trash and debris from the Santa Clara River. That is an exemplary display of teamwork. Over 22 years, participants in the annual River Rally have been a part of the solution for a better environment. These are countless individuals who separately signed up for each River Rally, separately came to the event and separately left the event. However, while each of them was cleaning the riverbed, they contributed to a unified cause. That is something the City of Santa Clarita can be proud of. Can you imagine what our community would be like if those 422,000 pounds of trash and debris had been left all these years?
The City of Santa Clarita invites residents to come out to the 23rd annual River Rally on Saturday, September 23 to help keep our environment clean and healthy. This is a great opportunity for the whole family, scout troop, youth group, you name it! All ages are encouraged to participate, but minors must be signed in by a parent. Gloves, collection bags, coffee and donuts will be provided. Participants are asked to bring reusable water bottles, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and appropriate clothing for walking in the riverbed.
Following the cleanup, participants are invited to enjoy the Environmental Expo. Experts on recycling, air quality, pollution prevention, water quality and more will be present at the expo and will be sharing helpful tips! Due to limited parking, participants are encouraged to carpool, walk or bike to the event. A FREE bike valet service will be provided by Performance Cyclery.
Pre-registration is required for participation in this event. Please sign up at GreenSantaClarita.com by September 22.
Nearly half of the Santa Clarita Valley’s water supply travels through the Santa Clara River. The clean water supply, habitat and endangered species certainly would not be around today if residents had not come together to clean the Santa Clara River. The consequences would have been unimaginably catastrophic.
Bill Miranda is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at: [email protected].
