Saturday, July 11, 2009 over 100 participants and over 30 volunteers came out to reconnect with the Missouri River. The Big Canoe River Float, MRCN’s 2009 summer float, took paddlers 9.5 miles down the Mighty Missouri. Participants were shuttled to Katfish Katy’s, in Huntsdale, where there was lunch, grown and produced in Missouri, awaiting them. The group indulged in Missouri delights such as free-range chicken salad, Patchwork ham, early peaches, pies from the Columbia Farmer’s Market, and hand-squeezed lemonade from Café Berlin. Lunch was followed by a safety presentation on how to paddle in such a large river. Paddlers were provided with safety whistles and there were multiple motorized-boats, including the Boone County Fire Protection District, on the river to ensure the safety of the paddlers. After the boats launched, participants stopped on two sandbars to see displays and presentations about the river’s ecology and history. Live plant and animal displays included: turtles, sturgeon, and invasive plant species. This event, a collaborative effort of many non-profit, state, federal, and private organizations, was organized one of MRCN’s AmeriCorps VISTA members, Billy Polansky.
Collaborators included:
Upon arrival at Cooper’s Landing, canoeists and kayakers were greeted with the sweet sounds of, Pippa Letsky, a local bluegrass musician. When everyone made it out of the water, prizes were raffled off. The prizes were donations from businesses throughout the river corridor.
The raffle was an effort to get people to explore the Missouri River Valley and spend more time with the river and it’s small towns.
This trip helped dispel myths that the Missouri River is dangerous, nasty, and rough. Participants commented after the float:
Hear that folks? The Missouri River is open for recreation! Why drive long distances to crowded lakes and streams? Our state’s namesake river is here in our backyard: its beautiful, its safe, and its underutilized!
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