River Relief

January 15, 2020

2020 Schedule

The 2020 schedule is here! As we get closer to the dates you will find links to full web pages detailing our events here. 

There are many changes to our schedule as we adjust to the reality of COVID-19 spread. For the latest updates on our policy and schedule changes, please visit this page.

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! We also have an online calendar that we update as information becomes available.

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

• Community River Clean-ups
• Education Programs
• Outreach & Fundraising Events
• River Races
• 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 when they become available. Typically, sign-ups will open 3 - 4 months in advance. 

River Clean-ups Hosted by Missouri River Relief:

• Saturday, April 18th - CANCELLED - Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up (Riverfront Park boat ramp, Kansas City, MO)
  
  
• Saturday, May 16th - CANCELLED - New Haven Missouri River Clean-up (New Haven, MO) 
  
  
• Saturday, Sept. 19th - St. Charles Missouri River Clean-up (Lewis & Clark Boat House, St. Charles, MO)
  
  
• Saturday, Oct. 24th - Cooper's Landing Missouri River Clean-up (Columbia, MO)

"Away Teams" 

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

• Saturday, March 21 - POSTPONED - Confluence Trash Bash - Hosted by Greenway Network

• August 15 - 23 - Operation Clean Stream - St. Louis, MO - Hosted by Open Space Council of St. Louis 

• September 22 - 27 - Paddle MO - Hermann, MO to the confluence in St. Louis, MO - 
  Hosted by Stream Teams United

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 25th - CANCELLED - Boone County Library Programs - Columbia, MO
• Monday, April 20th - CANCELLED - Kansas City Educator Workshop - Kansas City, MO
• April 24th, 27th, 29th and May 1st - CANCELLED - Missouri River Days with Columbia Public Schools - Columbia, MO
• April 15th - May 10th - CANCELLED - Missouri River All-Stars After-School Program - Columbia, MO
• Sunday, May 9th - CANCELLED - Missouri River All-Stars Field Trip - Columbia, MO
• Monday, May 11th - CANCELLED - Douglass High School River Trip - Columbia, MO
• July 5th - 9th - CANCELLED - Missouri River Academy Camp - New Haven, MO
• July 20th - 24th - CANCELLED - Missouri River Adventure Camp - Columbia, MO
• July 20th - 24th - Jefferson City Library River Week - Jefferson City, MO
• Wednesday, August 12th - CANCELLED - MRCN AmeriCorps Workshop - Columbia, MO
• September 28th, 30th & October 2nd - CANCELLED - Missouri River Days with Columbia Public Schools - Columbia, MO
• Wednesday, October 7th - CANCELLED - Job Point River Clean-up - Columbia, MO
• Thursday, October 15th - CANCELLED - Kansas City Educator Workshop - Kansas City, MO
• Monday, November 2nd - CANCELLED - Columbia Public Schools Educator Workshop - Columbia, MO

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. Keep up to date with current presenters on our Big Muddy Speaker Series website and Facebook page.

• 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. 9th - Wild & Scenic Film Festival - The Blue Note, Columbia MO
• September 10th & 11th - CANCELLED - Missouri River Sunset Excursion - Huntsdale, 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 9th - CANCELLED - Osage Spring 12 - Hosted by Osage Paddle Sports, this 12-mile race on the Osage River is a benefit for Missouri River Relief.
• August 4th - 8th - 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, October 10th - 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.

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 Operations Manager, Kevin Tosie, at kevin@riverrelief.org

• Saturday, January 25th - MRR First Aid Training - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, February 4th - MRR Crew Meeting (Wild & Scenic Film Festival) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Friday, March 18th - CANCELLED - MRR Crew Deckhand Training - MRR Headquarters, Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, April 7th - CANCELLED - MRR Crew Meeting (Kansas City Clean-up & Education Programs) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, May 6th - CANCELLED - MRR Crew Meeting (New Haven Clean-up & Education Programs) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Saturday, June 6th - CANCELLED - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, July 21st - CANCELLED - MRR Crew Meeting (MR340) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, September 1st - MRR Crew Meeting (St. Charles Clean-up & Education Programs) Social at 6:00 | Meeting at 6:30 - Columbia, MO
• Tuesday, September 29th - MRR Crew Meeting (Race to the Dome & Mid-MO Clean-up) 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