River Relief

October 18, 2018

2019 Schedule

The new 2019 schedule is here! Check out what all we have in store for this upcoming year. As we get closer to the dates you will find links to full web pages detailing our events here. Also, make sure to check out our new online calendar here.

We have all kinds of projects and events going on throughout the year including clean-ups, river races and education events. We are so excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve another year on behalf of the Big Muddy and her amazing river community!

Scroll down to your area of interest to check out all our events this year. 

• Community River Clean-ups
• Outreach & Fundraising Events
• River Races
• Education
• Crew Meetings

Community River Clean-ups

Our large-scale River Clean-ups provide volunteers the opportunity to explore and enjoy the river with family, friends, and neighbors while beautifying a gorgeous stretch of the Big Muddy. River Clean-up’s will leave you satisfied in knowing that you are playing a role in improving your watershed.  Click here to sign up for events.

River Clean-ups Hosted by Missouri River Relief :

• Saturday, April 13th - Washington River Festival & Missouri River Clean-up (Washington, MO)
  
  
• Saturday, May 18th - Fort Osage Missouri River Clean-up (Sibley, MO)
  
  
• Saturday, Sept. 14th - Weldon Spring Missouri River Clean-up (St. Louis, MO)
  
  
• Saturday, Oct. 26th - Jefferson City Missouri River Clean-up (Jefferson City, MO)

"Away Teams" 

These clean-ups and paddle events are hosted by partner organizations that Missouri River Relief assists with:

• Saturday, August 24st - Operation Clean Stream - St. Louis, MO - Hosted by Open Space Council of St. Louis

• September 20th - September 25th - Paddle MO - Hermann, MO to the confluence in St. Louis, MO - 
  Hosted by Stream Teams United

Outreach

The Big Muddy Speaker Series brings together Missouri River experts with community members to share knowledge and perspective on the Missouri River, its history, ecology, commerce and more. It is created and inspired by a partnership of organizations with a common goal - to deepen the connection of our communities to the river that connects us to each other.

• 2nd Tuesday of each month - Rocheport, MO
• 2nd Wednesday of each month - St. Charles, MO
• 4th Tuesday of every-other-month - Kansas City, MO
  (Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct.)

We pride ourselves on bringing communities together regardless of what the occasion might be, big or small. Here are a few public outreach events you'll be welcome to participate in:

• Sunday, Feb. 10th - Wild & Scenic Film Festival - The Blue Note, Columbia MO
• Thursday, March 14th - Big Muddy Art Auction - Orr Street Studios, Columbia MO
• Saturday, June 1st - Mile Marker 68.3 Bier Fest - Washington, MO
• Thursday, September 5th - Missouri River Sunset Excursion - Huntsdale, MO
• Thursday, September 19th - We All Brew Downstream Logboat Fundraiser - Columbia, MO
• Sunday, September 22nd - Just Plein Air & Water - Rocheport, MO

River Races

To witness the determination of river racers, the grit of the ground crews and the hospitality of the volunteers involved are truly inspiring. We are proud to provide safety boats to assist up and down these race courses and be part of so many races that have changed the way our state looks at our rivers. These serve our mission to connect people to the Missouri River in an intimate way, while also raising money as a fundraiser to support our efforts.

• Saturday, May 11th - Osage Spring 12 - Hosted by Osage Paddlesports, this 12-mile race on the Osage River is a benefit for Missouri River Relief.
• Saturday, August 24th - Race for the Rivers - Hosted by Greenway Network as a benefit for their efforts protecting rivers and open spaces. Pick 20 or 40 miles from Washington to St. Charles. 
• October 15th - 18th - Missouri American Water MR340 - Hosted by Rivermiles, this 340-mile race across the state of Missouri from Kansas City to St. Charles is the world's longest nonstop river paddling race.
• Saturday, November 2nd - Race to the Dome - Hosted by Missouri River Relief as a fundraiser event. You can pick 16 or 26 miles - from either Providence or Hartsburg to Jefferson City ending at Wilson's Serenity Point. 

To see the full list of river races happening in the Midwest Region, visit the Alpine Shop's Race Calendar on the Rivermiles Website.

Education

Our education programs engage participants’ innate sense of wonder and natural curiosity to explore the Missouri River through place-based programs that are interdisciplinary in nature and experiential in character. We seek to build participants’ knowledge and understanding of the Missouri River through hands-on experiences that will deepen their connection and sense of responsibility for its care and stewardship.

Check out our education website for more details and a full list of education programs going on this season.

• Wednesday, March 27th - Boone County Library Programs - Columbia, MO
• Thursday, April 11th & Friday, April 12th - Washington Education Programs - Washington, MO
• April 19th, 22nd, 24th & 26th - Missouri River Days with Columbia Public Schools - Columbia, MO
• Sunday, May 5th - Missouri River All-Stars After-School Program - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, May 7th - Douglass High School River Trip - Columbia, MO
• Thursday, May 9th & Friday, April 10th - Department of Natural Resources Leadership Ladder - Columbia, MO
• Thursday, June 6th - Missouri River Sunset Cruise - Columbia, MO
• July 7th - 11th - Missouri River Academy Camp - New Haven, MO
• Tuesday, August 6th - MRCN AmeriCorps Workshop - Columbia, MO
• August 26th, 28th & 30th - Missouri River Days with Columbia Public Schools - Columbia, MO
• Thursday, September 19th - Oakland Middle School River Trip - Columbia, MO
• Wednesday, October 9th - Job Point River Clean-up - Columbia, MO
• Friday, October 25th - Kansas City Educator Workshop - Kansas City, MO
• Friday, November 1st - Columbia Public Schools Educator Workshop - Columbia, MO

Crew Meetings & Events

We would be nothing without our homegrown, grassroots crew of volunteers. From motorcycle mechanics and chefs to ecologists and government officials, this growing group of clean-up “addicts” loves to work hard and play hard. What binds them together is a shared love for the Missouri River.

Our crew puts in countless hours each year planning, training and putting on events across five states of the Missouri River. We are always looking to expand this hardcore group of volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a Missouri River Relief Crew or want to know more, please feel free to reach out to our Event Coordinator, Kevin Tosie at kevin@riverrelief.org

• Tuesday, February 5th - MRR Crew Meeting (Wild & Scenic Film Festival) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Friday, March 22nd - Crew Boatyard Workday - MRR Boatyard Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, April 2nd - MRR Crew Meeting (Washington Clean-up & Education Events) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, April 30th - MRR Crew Meeting (Fort Osage Clean-up) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, August 6th  - MRR Crew Meeting (MR340) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, September 3rd - MRR Crew Meeting (Weldon Springs Clean-up) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, October 1st - MRR Crew Meeting (Race to the Dome & Clean-up at the Capital) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, November 5th -  MRR Crew Meeting (Reflection & Look into 2020) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO