Kayak Raffle “Launched” by Friends of the Shiawassee River
May 30, 2019 - CORUNNA, MI. —The Friends of the Shiawassee River (Friends) have launched a fundraising raffle for a 12’6” Venture Kayaks Islay 12 kayak to informally kick off summer season. The kayak is from The Power of Water in Lansing and is valued at over $1,200. Funds generated by the raffle will be used to host water quality monitoring stream teams, an annual river cleanup event, paddling events, and other Friends’ efforts. Winners of the kayak and 2nd/3rd place prizes will be announced at the Friends’ annual wine-tasting event on Wednesday, September 11th at the Owosso Country Club.
“The raffle is more than just a way for the Friends to raise money,” said Friends’ Kayak Raffle Co-Chair Matt Van Epps. “We hope to promote the whole idea of paddling the Shiawassee. It’s a great way to rediscover this river we love so much.”
Raffle tickets may be purchased from any Friends’ Board member and from the following locations:
Fifth Third Bank, Owosso
Friends Office (538 N. Shiawassee St.), Corunna
Gilbert’s Hardware and Appliance, Owosso
J & S Tire, Owosso
Shiawassee Arts Center, Owosso
Shiawassee Family YMCA, Owosso
And, along with the kayak raffle, the Friends’ wants to remind everyone that the Shiawassee River was recently approved as only one of eight state-designated water trails in Michigan. To highlight this acknowledgement, they will also be hosting two upcoming paddling events this summer:
Saturday, June 22nd @ 10 am – Harmon Patridge Park to DeVries Nature Conservancy with a cookout following
This short paddle is great for beginners or families. After the paddle, participants will be treated to a fun cookout at DeVries. Pre-registration is required at www.shiawasseeriver.org/calendar.
Saturday, June 29th @ 5:30 pm – Harmon Patridge Park to Henderson Park
This beautiful stretch of the river is even nicer at twilight. Both this paddle and the paddle on the 22nd will be led by experienced paddler Joyce Haak. If you’ve been reluctant to go it alone, these adventures are a great way to enjoy nature and make new Friends! Pre-registration is required at www.shiawasseeriver.org/calendar.
For more information on the Friends’, visit www.shiawasseeriver.org. To remain up-to-date on all of their activities, like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FOSRiver, follow them on Twitter @FOSR_Tweets, email info@shiawasseeriver.org, or call the Friends’ office at (989) 723-9062.