For nearly two decades, RiverFEST has brought Glenwood Springs residents together for a river cleanup, followed by food, libations and live music.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring your kids, bring your grandparents, bring your friends,\u201d Glenwood Springs Senior Planner Trent Hyatt, city staff organizer of the event, said of Saturday\u2019s volunteer event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe volunteers are what make it happen in terms of removing litter and debris from the area\u2019s streams and rivers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Utilizing an individual and team format, individual volunteers should meet at the shelter closest to the boat ramp in Two Rivers Park, 740 Devereux Road, at 9 a.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n
Teams, in coordination with the city\u2019s River Commission, will meet at a predetermined cleanup location where they will receive their necessary river cleanup supplies.<\/p>\n
Both individuals and teams may register for the event through the city\u2019s website at http:\/\/www.cogs.us\/riverfest<\/a><\/p>\n The cleanup along the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers will last from 9 a.m. to noon.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s event saw 131 volunteers, and this year organizers hope for 150.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d like to grow it annually. \u2026The more volunteers we get, the more trash we take out,\u201d Hyatt explained of the family-friendly event.<\/p>\n In previous years, RiverFEST volunteers have filled multiple six-yard trash containers to the brim with litter and debris gathered from the banks of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers.<\/p>\n The cleanup has also turned up items that volunteers wanted out of the rivers, but not necessarily in the trash.<\/p>\n \u201cOld memorabilia,\u201d Hyatt said of what volunteers occasionally come across.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s old medicine jars or tin beer cans, there are some neat things that folks find.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the majority of the cleanup includes removing metal from the rivers, Hyatt explained \u2014 so much so that, this year, organizers will bring in a metal specific collection bin.<\/p>\n Although the trash collection concludes at noon, RiverFEST goes on until 3 p.m. with free food, soft drinks, beer and live music for volunteers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe coin it as RiverFEST because we include a celebration at the end of that morning cleanup,\u201d Hyatt said. \u201cFrom noon to 3 p.m., we have a celebration at Two Rivers Park for those fine volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s afternoon celebration features live bluegrass music from Hardscrabble, giveaway prizes from community sponsors and onsite education and retail vendors.<\/p>\n \u201cFolks can be involved in teams that can float along the river. If you\u2019ve got your own boat and want to float a section, we can assign you one,\u201d Hyatt said of the cleanup effort.<\/p>\n \u201cOr, you can just show up at Two Rivers Park and walk sections of the river. So, there are a couple different means of getting after it.\u201d<\/p>\n