Staff Report
The Friends of the Muscatatuck River Society will hold their 20th annual Fall River “Shady” Sweep on Saturday, Oct. 7, in memory of the group’s founder, Dan Shade.
The sweep’s goal is to contribute positively to the environment and the community by cleaning up the river. Volunteers can walk along the river bank and collect trash, or canoe sections of the river. Those canoeing must bring their own watercraft.
Participation is open to everyone, though children must be accompanied by a parent or adult.
After a brief safety instruction, equipment will be distributed and groups will receive their location assignments. The sweep will conclude at noon at the County Highway Garage to dispose of trash collected.
A free lunch will be provided at the New Bethel Methodist Church food stand at the Jennings County Fairgrounds, with food donated by local businesses.
“We’ve picked up almost 300,000 pounds of trash since 1998,” said event public relations coordinator Troy Jackson. Normally about 50 or 60 volunteers join in each year.
For questions or sponsorship inquiries, contact Jackson at 812-592-0481, or secretary Tom Moore at 812-592-0319. More information also is available on the Friends of the Muscatatuck River Society’s Facebook page.
