News : R.A.T.S. are up to the challenge; clean up set for Aug. 8

The River R.A.T.S. have relied on many to help with the clean-up efforts.

What should our challenge be this year? Who can find the largest piece of metal? Who can find the most tires? What will the most unique piece of glass or trash be? Which boat will make the first trip to ‘offload’ their ‘less than precious cargo’? These are only some of the challenges we make to each other at the time we take to the water for our clean up, and they are all fun challenges that produce real results.

This year, we have already started to meet some of the challenges that ‘volunteer-run’ events often face, the largest of those being: “who will help?” Already, we have new faces and new families signed on to help, and many of our clean up veterans will be back as well. Like all good things though, there can never be enough. We still welcome and need volunteers of all kinds: time on the water, on the banks, at the lunch site, donations of hotdogs/burgers/buns or chips, bottles of water or a box of heavy trash bags…anything someone wants to do in any way to help is a win-win for the R.A.T.S.

Another challenge often faced by ‘volunteer-run’ events is, “what type of support can we find?” And happily, with the 7 clean-ups that have already been done successfully by the R.A.T.S., our supporters continue to be incredibly generous with their resources. Again this year, we have Kurt’s Enterprises providing us with a dumpster at the end of our route, we have Schoonover Tuckpointing providing us with a dump truck to haul our ‘treasures’ from the mid-way point to the dumpster at the end, we have Benton County Conservation providing some of their staff for the journey, we have the time and talent of OuterEdge Screenprinting working on our shirts and we have the support of the Vinton Izaak Walton League to help us with expenses, as well as some of their members that help us move trailers from the start point down to the end. If you originally thought this was just a small group of people, people that are on the river anyway, you would be incorrect. This really is something that can and does involve clubs, businesses, families and individuals from all over Benton County. Many hands make light work on a project such as the R.A.T.S. clean up, and every hand is welcome.

Call Tami today to sign up as a volunteer or for more information on ways to help. Remember, the first 40 volunteers to sign up and show up on August 8 will receive the 2015. R.A.T.S. tee! Your R.A.T.S. committee will provide each of the volunteers with gloves/bags/buckets/bottled water and of course, a homecooked/grilled lunch at our half way point.

Is it work? Yes, but it’s also the most rewarding fun you’ll ever have while working, sweating and getting dirty! 319-558-7476