News : More volunteers needed for river clean-up Aug. 3

The Vinton area Cedar River R.A.T.S. invite everyone to come out and be a part of the sixth annual Cedar River Clean Up project on Saturday, August 3, 2013. This annual event is family friendly and free to everyone.

The R.A.T.S. are still seeking volunteers with canoes, kayaks and boats to help clean the banks of our Cedar, starting at the Mt. Auburn boat ramp with a 9:00 AM launch time and winding our way down to the Vinton Bridge boat ramp for a 3:30 finish time. Anyone wishing to volunteer should be at the Mt.Auburn Bridge by 8:40 for a brief overview and sign in, supply disbursement and to get their shirts! Commemorative tee shirts will be given to the first 65 volunteers registered. Each volunteer will receive gloves, bags, and a 5 gallon bucket prior to getting on the water, and everyone will have the pleasure to enjoy a home cooked meal consisting of homemade baked beans, world famous potato salad, hot dogs, cookies & melon, by Martha Long and her ‘almost famous’ culinary crew.

At certain, pre-determined points along the route, ground-crew volunteers will meet the water crew to offload debris and replenish supplies. At our final stop point, all trash and debris will be offloaded into a dumpster supplied by Kurt’s Enterprises.

This is a rain or shine event and everyone’s help is needed and appreciated. Please come and help the R.A.T.S. celebrate the 6th anniversary of this very important and much needed clean up project. Our current river enthusiasts benefit now, and generations to come will reap the benefits of the cleaner water and safer banks. Anyone that has ever participated in this event has gone home with a truly well deserved sense of accomplishment. This is one of those great opportunities when the hard work being done is clearly obvious at the end of the day. Please, join us, see what it’s all about…It’s a perfect opportunity to work and have fun, all while enjoying the scenic path of the Cedar River.

To register for this event now, (and reserve your shirt) call Tami @ 319-558-7476. Remember, we need river R.A.T.S. on the water, but our “Land Sharks” manning trucks and staffing lunch are also essential jobs that we cannot get by without! We look forward to seeing you in August.