Saturday, January 15, 2011

RK Update - Polar Bears, Pizzas and Paddles

Hello, all you river lovers, and river haters who have kids who love rivers, and river-indifferents for that matter, and to all those people who somehow got on this mailing list thanks to a typo:

River Kids is going to be hosting their 3rd annual Polar Bear Pickup on Saturday, February 5.  We have been fortunate enough to have teamed up with a few great organizations and individuals to make this into a very fun event for all…by "all" I mean those who like picking up trash in the cold along a river in the middle of winter.  Not much fun for others I suppose.

Okay, so we're a little nutty…or is it "genius."  It's hard to tell the difference sometimes, eh?

Any way you look at it, we'll be out in force February 5…we hope everyone will come join us for at least a portion of the event.  Anyone who does brave the cold will get the choice of a River Kids or MO Stream Teams T-shirt, an RK hat (while supplies on this hot commodity last), or an RK biodegradable water bottle (BPA-free)…

AND if you find something BIG, weird, or valuable during the cleanup, you might win one of the prizes REI donated!  (Anyone need a backpack cooler?  Tripod backpacking stool?  Polar fleece blanket?  Who can't use a polar fleece blanket?)

AND if you stick around after the cleanup, or sneak up at about noon and pretend you were there the whole time, you'll find yourself face to face with a rockin' lunch buffet c/o Orlando's catering…

AND we'll have lots of friends there to chip in…MO Stream Teams members, Grace Hill Peace Corps Rangers, REI crew members, Mike Clark, and more…

If you need any other details, check out the attached flyer…AND pass it along!  The more the merrier…it would be great to run out of bags, T-shirts, and food because we've got too many people there.  Okay, so that would be really bad, but in theory, having that many people interested would be a good thing, right?

The next River Kids meeting is scheduled for Friday, January 21.  This will be an extended meeting - 4-6pm.  We've scheduled a long meeting this time around to make it possible to get our paddling training in with the folks from the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.  I picked this date because there was already a Board meeting scheduled for that evening, so I knew many folks would already be planning to be there…I'm hoping the rest will be able to work it out to be there.  We will provide a pizza dinner, with drinks and our beloved cinnapies, for all who attend…that's right, cinnapies for all.

In case you've missed the memo, we've established a new paddling training program with the USCGA to give our kids (and parents) the chance to get up to speed on all the safety standards related to being out on river in small crafts.   Participation is required for all River Kids (and parents) who intend to take part in a River Kids paddling trip.  If you absolutely cannot attend this gathering, please contact me and I will work with you to figure out how you can still receive the appropriate training so you may participate in paddling trips.  We'll offer one or two paddles a month once it warms up, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to show off how safe you are thanks to your official River Kids training…maybe we should make a badge.

While you've got your calendar out, mark it with a big RK on May 13-15…We're still working out all the details, but we're planning the annual end-of-the-year RK paddling trip being a two-night camping trip with Mike Clark on Mosenthein Island…I know the River Kids will have an amazing time…the question really is, what will the parents do without the kids all weekend?  I suppose you could get in all 12 rounds of that train dominos game you've been meaning to complete.  I have a set you can borrow.

Oh, yeah…I suppose I should note that the Confluence Trash Bash (with over 800 volunteers cleaning over 40 tons of trash) will be on the last weekend of spring break…March 26.  Last year we brought out more volunteers than ever…pressure's on…

Oh, yeah again…don't forget about St. Louis Earth Day Festival – April 17.

And then there's the lock-in…and the paddling trips…and the River Kids Musical: Let the Rivers Run Wild…just kidding…or am I?

Looking forward to it all…codephrase to prove you read it all – Give my regards to Broadway!

Ben










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