Grab your gloves, put on your shoes and get ready to help make a difference! The city of Santa Clarita puts on so many wonderful and entertaining events each year, but one of the most important things we do as a community is when volunteers come together from all over the valley to help clean a portion of the Santa Clara River.
The 24th Annual River Rally Cleanup and Environmental Expo is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and I hope you will take the opportunity to help improve the natural beauty of Santa Clarita.
If you have never participated in the River Rally before, it truly is a sight to behold. Individual volunteers, employee groups and nonprofit organizations unite along one stretch of the riverbed to help clear debris and remove trash from the river.
You may not have known this before, but the Santa Clara River is also home to a number of threatened and endangered species and their habitats, like the California condor and the California red legged frog.
This year’s River Rally is going to start along Wiley Canyon Road, off the Via Princessa Bridge and east of Orchard Village Road. The morning will begin with some coffee and doughnuts at the meet-up location, before volunteers head out in groups to pick up trash and debris.
Did you know that over the years more than 436,000 pounds of trash have been removed during the River Rally? That is absolutely astonishing, and a testament to why this event is so important to our community and local environment.
The city is still looking for volunteers to participate in this event. The River Rally is the kind of volunteer opportunity that applies to residents of all ages. Families can work together as a group, friends can challenge one another to see who picks up the most trash and businesses can reward employees who donate their time and give back to the community.
The event is open to all volunteers, but those under the age of 18 will need to have an adult with them.
While anyone can participate in the River Rally, we do ask that you take a moment to register as a volunteer online so we have an accurate head count. Volunteer registration is open until 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21.
Please consider spending your morning making a difference in Santa Clarita by participating in the annual River Rally. You can learn more about the event and add your name to the River Rally volunteer roster by visiting GreenSantaClarita.com.
Bill Miranda is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].
