Join Us. Make a Lasting Impact. This is our Legacy.

The Kalamazoo River & River Trail Cleanup did more than reveal a spectacular river and river trail, it showcased a community's remarkable spirit and civic pride. 

April 21, 2024

On April 20, the event's main event date. it was a cold spring day with temperatures struggling to break 40º. It ws estimated that 232 volunteers came to support this inaugural event. With those volunteer teams that began work the week prior it brings our total volunteer count to 264. This makes it the largest volunteer initiative of its type in the Kalamazoo area, ever.

This event was much more than stewardship, it was a celebration of community. Forty organizations helped create this event which was spearheaded by Rotary of Kalamazoo and Michigan Waterways Stewards. Volunteers travelled from St. Joseph, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit. They offered help from on the water, at river’s edge, along the river trail, and even from above the bridges.

​A special shout out is due to the Cities of Kalamazoo and Parchment, Comstock Township, County of Kalamazoo, and all those emergency services teams that were prepared to respond if needed. We are pleased that they were not called into action.

To help manage on-river activities we thank Doug McLaughlin with Kalamazoo Watershed Council and Ryan Baker with Kalamazoo River Alliance. Ryan, along with ZSR Solar’s Brad Kallio and a not-so-small army of volunteers, retrieved nearly 70 discarded tire and truck tires.  

To thank our event volunteers for their tireless effort, plenty of hospitality was provided. We thank Milestone Senior Services for their grilling half-pound burgers, brats, hotdogs, and providing beverages and more. Old Dog Tavern provided snacks and drinks for those working on the river trail, all delivered by ZSR Solar. Gordon Water Services was also a valuable hospitality partner. To thank our volunteers, Old Dog Tavern thew an after event party with a free pizza buffet. 

It is tempting to measure success by number of pounds recovered. With our preliminary estimate of 8,000 pounds, for an average of 30.3 pounds per person,  this tells of a huge success. But, we look at more to evaluate if an event was successful. We look at other factors such how many organizations participated, how far people travelled, how many families attended, and how many promised to return. One Rotarian used the measurement of number of smiley faces. Using that factor alone makes our inaugural event was an undisputed success.

It is often those most quite, least visible, those acting in an unassuming way that make the greatest impact. This event was no exception and we wish to recognize Kathy Gallagher, Sandy Bliesener, Patrick McVerry, Mike Corman, Christine Pearson, Richard Kline, Rob Peterson, and Joe Naerebout. We must give thanks to our flagship sponsors Dart Container Corporation and Zhang Financial. It is because of the generous financial support of fine organizations like these that our work is possible; repeatable and scalable. 

See below of photos from this spring's Kalamazoo River and River Trail Cleanup.
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JOIN US • MAKE A LASTING IMPACT • THIS IS OUR LEGACY

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Kalamazoo River & River Trail Cleanup
It was much than stewardship. It was a community celebration.

Thank you to our partners, sponsors, and volunteers for making this event possible!