By Ken Striplin
City Manager
On Sept. 22, 2018, hundreds of volunteers descended into the Santa Clara riverbed in search of trash and debris as part of our Annual River Rally. Over the years these volunteers have removed more than 436,000 pounds of trash.
This work is important for many reasons, one being the river carries nearly half of the Santa Clarita Valley’s water supply. Not to mention 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.
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to these volunteers for the work they have done on behalf our city. The generosity of time and dedication to the community by these volunteers make an immense impact in our city.
Last year alone the economic impact of volunteer hours totaled a whopping $1.65 million. Some 5,124 volunteers worked 56,886 hours last year, equaling the amount of work of 27 full-time employees. The top hour earners were those who volunteered to coach youth sports, help out at our libraries or assist in our popular events like the Cowboy Festival and Santa Clarita Marathon.
The City is always looking for volunteers and offers a variety of opportunities to choose from. To learn more about ways to help at events and programs in Santa Clarita, please visit SantaClaritaVolunteers.com or “like” Santa Clarita Volunteers on Facebook. On the City website, you can find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities and also view the volunteer orientation video. You can even see volunteers in action in photos from a variety of events over past years.
From events to programs, volunteers work together to help sustain the quality of life in Santa Clarita that we all enjoy.
Thank you for your time, which has enriched our community.
