The Fitness Coliseum in Owosso and the Friends of the Shiawassee River, in collaboration with the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce, have announced that the first-ever Shiawassee Triathlon (Shi~Tri), originally scheduled for Sunday, May 31, 2020, will be postponed for the safety of potential triathletes, volunteers and spectators with the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 virus concerns.  The rescheduled date is set for Sunday, May 23, 2021. 

The mission of the Shi~Tri continues to be to promote community fitness and to support the Friends of the Shiawassee River.  Proceeds from this next year’s event will go toward improvements to help everyone care, share, and enjoy our treasured Shiawassee River.  Next year’s Run/Paddle/Bike route will remain the same as the 2020 route - beginning and ending in Downtown Owosso along the Shiawassee River. 

“Although we are very excited to present this brand new event to the community, we do not want to risk the health of anyone,” said Brianna Carroll, owner of the Fitness Coliseum and event organizer.  “Our planning team, consisting of a number of community leaders and Friends’ representatives, are looking forward to rolling things out next year with even more excitement!”

And, to encourage the over 90 triathletes who have already registered for the 2020 Shi~Tri to remain dedicated to the success of next year’s event, the Shi~Tri organizers will offer those who remain registered a number of incentives to do so, including:

• -        a free, one-year membership with the Friends of the Shiawassee River
• -        a guaranteed price lock on the registration fee (anyone who has already paid will not be charged more if the rates go up next year)
• -        a complimentary Friends’ kayak raffle ticket for the drawing to be held in September and “Life is Better on the River” Friends’ decal

“We have envisioned a river based experience like this for many years,” said Lorraine Austin, Executive Director of the Friends.  “Although we are disappointed to have to delay it, we want to encourage those who are already registered to remain loyal to the community spirit of the event – benefitting the registrants, the Friends, and the Shi~Tri initiative as a whole.”

Registration for the event (for both triathletes and volunteers) will continue at www.Shi-Tri.com.  Triathlete registration costs are $60 per individual and $90 per three-person relay team.  Anyone who registers by April 30, 2020 (and agrees to remain registered for next year’s event) will receive the incentive package listed above.

The following 2020 event sponsors have graciously offered to remain sponsors of the 2021 event:  Memorial Healthcare (Presenting Sponsor), Norm Henry Shoes (Run Sponsor), Great Lake Fusion (Paddle Sponsor), Byk-Rak (Ride Sponsor), Shiawassee County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Underwriting Sponsor), and Darker Mfg. Co. (Award Design Sponsor).  In addition, the following businesses will support the 2021 event as Shi-Tribe Sponsors:  Advanced Eye Care, American Recycling Center, Inc., American Speedy Print (Owosso), DayStarr Communications, Feighner Docks, Hankerd Sportswear, Merit Laboratories, Inc., Qdoba, REMAX of Owosso, RWI Mfg, and Weather Vane Roofing.

For more information, visit www.shi-tri.com or email ShiawasseeTri@gmail.com.

The Fitness Coliseum is a one-stop shop for fitness and wellness – focusing on providing fun, effective, and safe fitness classes to people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels.  They pride themselves on creating a supportive environment that lifts people up and encourages them to be the best they can be.

The Friends of the Shiawassee River is a 501©3 nonprofit organization governed by a local board of directors and supported by a dedicated group of volunteers and generous donors.  The mission of the Friends is to help the community Care, Share, and Enjoy the Shiawassee River.  The Friends are committed to improving the river environment and promoting the responsible use of/enhancing the appreciation of the River throughout its watershed. 

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One of our founding members, Phil Hathaway, has written a book called "History of the Shiawassee River." You can purchase the book online by clicking here.  And pick it up at our office (538 N. Shiawassee St. Corunna, MI) or we can ship it to you. 

The history is a 123-mile tale in sequence about geology, Native Americans, pioneers, water power, water users, resource degradation and recovery.  Considerable effort has been made to explain the relationships of human activity and the River from earliest known inhabitants to the near-present navigators.  Flush with photographs and charts, readers may readily understand the narrative together with continuous deference to the value of history in our lives and for the care of the waterway.  For those readers outside our watershed, there is an adoptable manner to content and chronology that may be followed in most navigable waterways.  The coverage area from the source at Lake Shiawassee to the river's confluence with the Tittabawassee south of Saginaw is compressed with bonds of a the omnipresent Chippewas, early beaver trappers, river towns with their dams, ponds and mills and environmental qualities of the water body. 

A huge thank you to Phil Hathaway for compiling this information and making it available for the public! 

In 1996, a group of Friends came together with a straightforward purpose to Care, Share, and Enjoy the Shiawassee River.  Every year, we recognize volunteers and other Friends who make our work possible.  We give awards for those who care for the River, share with others their knowledge and affection for the River, and help us all enjoy what the River can give us.

The CARE AWARD this year goes to the City of Corunna, including Mayor Chuck Kerridge, Assessor/Planner Merilee Lawson, City Manager Joe Sawyer, and Tim Crawford from the Department of Public Works, for their efforts and partnership with the Friends to restore the River at the site of the former Corunna dam.  In 1996 we organized our first clean-up, and the City of Corunna was of one our partners.  We pulled out about 300 tires that first year, which ended up there for a variety of reasons. While most of them are irresponsible methods of tire disposal, some people made a misinformed attempt to stop bank erosion.  Once in the River, a tire is unsightly and can be hard to remove.

The City of Corunna has had the equivalent of a big tire stuck in the River for many years.  The dam in Corunna, built over 100 years ago, once served a useful purpose, but it has been decades since it added any value to the community.  But taking a dam out is hard work, kind of like pulling out a tire mired in the silt and mud. We recognize the City of Corunna for their diligence and commitment to restoring the River.  The Friends will support enhancing the new recreational opportunities provided by the dam removal.

This year’s SHARE AWARD goes to David Richardson, a Byron Middle School teacher, for his continued participation in the Friends’ Stream Team program and for inspiring his students to become life-long river stewards.  When it comes to sharing our knowledge and appreciation of the Shiawassee River, perhaps nothing is better than the volunteer water quality monitoring (Stream Team) we conduct at twelve sites from Holly to St. Charles.  The most rewarding part of Stream Team efforts may be our work with schools and getting students into the River to learn science hands-on and boots-in.

The Friends has been fortunate to work with Dave and other teachers watershed-wide to help hundreds of students collect data and learn about what lives in the River.  Dave’s love for the Shiawassee is shared with his students with the river ecology lessons and other projects like "Salmon in the Classroom".  His ability and enthusiasm to share science and knowledge and personally show his appreciation of the River to his students is truly inspiring.

ENJOY AWARDSthis year are given to two Shiawassee area artists, Linda Beeman and Tom Tomasek, for their support of the Friends and their extraordinary talents in highlighting the river through their visual artistry.  When we think of “enjoying” the Shiawassee, we usually think of paddling, or fishing, or using one of the many public parks or walkways located along the River.

However, many of us just enjoy the Shiawassee for the beauty it adds to our life.  Linda and Tom have a gift for capturing the special beauty of the Shiawassee, and sharing it with others.  Their work has given exposure to the Shiawassee widely, even internationally.  Linda has helped build a relationship between the state of Shiga in Japan and Michigan and helped facilitate cultural and scientific exchanges that have benefitted both. 

Tom and Linda have also supported the Friends by donating their art for auction at our annual fundraising events.  Linda also championed the painting and installation of a mural along the River in downtown Owosso.  We need the beauty of the Shiawassee River, and Linda and Tom have helped many people connect and fully appreciate the beauty it offers us.

THANK YOU to all our volunteers and other Friends.  Those we recognize with an award are of course only a few of those who contribute to our success.  They are representative of the best that is given to make the Shiawassee healthy, clean, and available to all.

We Did It, we reached our goal! A HUGE thank you to each of our donors!

The Friends' met our $3,500 goal for Giving Tuesday thanks to the donations of 41 individuals like you!  And, thanks to challenge grants from other Friends, we gained $10,500 in pledged matches. Our Giving Tuesday total this year will be $14,000!

We truly appreciate your $25 gift and will use these funds in 2020 to boost our outreach and educational efforts, including the work of our Stream Team river monitoring program.  This will include: Stream Team equipment, salary for Sarah (our Stream Team coordinator), salary for a new staff person to come on board in 2020, and staff Stream Team traveling expenses.  To learn more about what the Stream Team is all about, please read 2019 report. And if this piques your interest, you might want to contact us about becoming a Stream Team volunteer!!

The Giving Tuesday effort has truly been part of the best year ever for the Friends. We look forward to growing our service to the community and caring for the River we all hold dear.

Friends of the Shiawassee River is working with partner organizations to provide information, networking opportunities, and project development around the local impacts of climate change

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November 2019 - CORUNNA, MI – One of the reasons the Friends’ organization was formed was to share their appreciation and knowledge of the Shiawassee River with others. With a new grant, the Friends of the Shiawassee River will take a step forward in 2020 with a major public education program about climate change and its impact on our watershed. The outreach effort will focus on actions that can be taken that enhance the health of the Shiawassee River no matter the extent of impacts caused by extreme weather events.

The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA) Program, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has awarded the Friends funding to help them build a knowledge base and share practical information with those impacted by changing water levels resulting from increased storm events and droughts.

“We are here to serve the residents of the watershed, and this grant will help us all be better stewards of the river and its natural resources,” said Friends Executive Director Lorraine Austin. “We’re especially interested in taking a local look at what is happening in our own backyards.”

The Friends of the Shiawassee River will hold three education forums on the impacts of climate extreme weather events throughout the diverse Shiawassee River Watershed to inform and engage three different groups:

1) local governments and residential landowners along the River;

2) farmers. agricultural landowners, and conservation organizations;

3) recreational users of the River, including anglers, hunters, paddlers and wildlife advocates.

With the help of scientists, the Friends will provide the best information available about increased precipitation, the increased likelihood of storm events, rising summer and winter temperatures, droughts, and other weather changes. Workshop participants will work together to design and carry out a project to address a local problem or opportunity.

The GLISA team working on the project have local roots. “Having grown up in Corunna and having watched my uncle fish along the Shiawassee River all of his life, I am excited to work with the Friends of the Shiawassee River and local residents to protect these resources that have played, and continue to play, such an important role in the lives of the local communities,” said Dr. Frank Marsik of the University of Michigan and GLISA liaison to the Friends.

The GLISA team at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will analyze climate data and provide an analysis of climate change in the Shiawassee River watershed that will be presented at all three workshops. At each workshop, organizations with relevant expertise will present potential solutions that can be undertaken by watershed residents, landowners, local governments, community nonprofits, and recreational organizations.

“People in the Great Lakes region understand that climate change is about more than increases in temperature and rainfall across the region. As a result of these changes in our climate, our wetlands and other sensitive ecosystems are seeing changes, as well,” said Marsik. “Increases in rainfall can lead to increases in soil erosion and run-off into rivers and streams. Temperature changes are leading to shifts in vegetation and habitat for wildlife.”

Other partners in the project include the Michigan Association of Planning, the Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the Shiawassee Conservation District, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners for Fish & Wildlife.

For more information, visit the Friends’ website at www.ShiawasseeRiver.org or email info@shiawasseeriver.org. The Friends will also post updates on their Facebook page and Twitter feed (FOSR_Tweets).

GLISA is one of eleven Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) teams supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) dedicated to helping the nation prepare for and adapt to climate variability and change. Through research and service, we build capacity to respond to climate-related risks in the Great Lakes region by increasing the usability of climate information for decision making. GLISA is a partnership between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and serves the eight states in the Great Lakes basin in the United States and the Province of Ontario in Canada.

The Friends of the Shiawassee River is a 501©3 nonprofit organization governed by a local board of directors and supported by a dedicated group of volunteers and generous donors. The mission of the Friends is to help the community Care, Share, and Enjoy the Shiawassee River. The Friends are committed to improving the river environment and promoting the responsible use of/enhancing the appreciation of the River throughout its watershed.

More sturgeon to be released into Saginaw Bay Watershed during public events on Sept. 21

Local, state and federal partners invite the public to a lake sturgeon release celebration on Sept. 21, 2019. Releases will reintroduce 500 hatchery-reared sturgeon into the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Each tributary (Cass, Flint, Shiawassee, and Tittabawassee rivers) will receive 125 fish.

The schedule includes:

 A 10 a.m. release on the Tittabawassee River. It will be held at the Bob G. Caldwell Municipal Boat

Launch in Midland, Mich., and will be hosted by the Chippewa Nature Center. For more information,

contact Dennis Pilaske at dpilaske@chippewanaturecenter.org.

 The 11 a.m. Shiawassee River release will take place at Cole Park in Chesaning, Mich., and will be

hosted by the Friends of the Shiawassee River. For more information, contact Lorraine Austin at

lorraineA@shiawasseeriver.org.

 The noon Cass River release is at the Fishermen’s Parking Lot near the Gunzenhausen Walkway in

Frankenmuth, Mich. at the corner of Guzenhausen and Rosstal Street, and will be hosted by U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service. For more information, contact Michelle Vanderhaar at

michelle_vanderhaar@fws.org.

 From 1-3 p.m., the Flint River release will take place at Mott Park Recreation Area. This largescale event will include a speaker program, educational tables, and the official ribbon cutting for thePaddlers’ Landing. For more information, contact Rebecca Fedawa at rfedewa@flintriver.org.

These events are part of the Saginaw Bay Watershed Lake Sturgeon Restoration, an effort led by the DNR and partners to reestablish lake sturgeon in the Saginaw Watershed through the Cass, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee and Flint rivers. The lake sturgeon were reared at the USFWS National Fish Hatchery in Genoa, WI, and are about 5-7 inches in length. The adult source population for the lake sturgeon were collected near Port Huron. Lake sturgeon are a unique Great Lakes species. They can grow up to 7 feet long and can weigh up to 300 pounds. The slow-maturing fish do not begin reproducing until they are 15-20 years old. Once abundant in many Michigan lakes and rivers, lake sturgeon were nearly eradicated due to overfishing and habitat loss, particularly the destruction of rocky reefs in rivers that sturgeon and other native fish species use for spawning. In recent years, many partnerships and projects are working to restore sturgeon to a self-sustaining level in Michigan. This work includes restoring sturgeon habitat, reintroducing sturgeon into their native ranges, and raising awareness and appreciation for this unique species. The Sept. 21, 2019, sturgeon release events are supported by a variety of partners including Bay County Environmental Affairs and Community Development, City of Frankenmuth, Chippewa Nature Center, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Frankenmuth Morning Rotary Club, Friends of the Shiawassee River, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, MSU Extension, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Saginaw Field and Stream Club, Sturgeon for Tomorrow – Black Lake Chapter, The Conservation Fund, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Learn more about the lake sturgeon restoration efforts and additional partners on the

Saginaw Bay Sturgeon website (www.saginawbaysturgeon.org).

Friends of the Shiawassee River and the Shiawassee County Health Department wish to thank all event participants and sponsors of this 24^th annual event

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August 12, 2019 - OWOSSO, MI – Representatives of the Friends of the Shiawassee River and the Shiawassee County Health Department have declared their July 27^th 2019 River Cleanup event to be a rousing success and wish to thank all those who supported the endeavor.

“Almost 200 volunteers turned out to help remove 15 cubic yards of trash (approximately 90 13-gallon trash bags full) and over 800 tires both from the river together with the tire collection event that was held at the Shiawassee County Road Commission,” said Larry Johnson, SCHD Director.  “It was by far our most successful cleanup event ever.”

 

Tony Newman, Shiawassee County Drain Commissioner added, “We’re thrilled with the number of volunteers who gave their time to help preserve and protect our greatest ecological asset, the Shiawassee River.”  Both Newman and Johnson have both worked with this effort for the majority of the 24 years it has been held.  Phil Hathaway, a Friends’ volunteer and past Community Development Director for the City of Owosso, who has also been responsible for the development/upkeep of several canoe/kayak launches on the river, was also a key figure in the success of this year’s event.

Volunteer cleanup crews were sent to multiple locations on the river between Geeck Road Park and Henderson Park, picking up trash from over 10 miles of the river.

Teresa Sherman, who organized the cleanup in Vernon (where a canoe/kayak launch and associated lockers were recently installed), participated in her third cleanup this year. 

“After three years, we’re still getting a great turnout at Vernon for this event,” said Sherman.  “We truly appreciate everyone who braved the high waters and helped to make our section of the river visibly cleaner.  We always have a great time!”

In addition to the many volunteers who banded together as individuals for the event, a number of groups and businesses also joined in.

Oster Manufacturing and J & S Tire and Service, both in Owosso, generously paid their employees for the day to participate – as well as donated as event sponsors.

“We have been associated with this event for many years now,” said Steve Gill, owner of J & S.  “It’s an effort we feel privileged to be a part of.  My employees look forward to it every year!  I ask that others in the community join us next year to support the Friends and the SCHD in this and other endeavors to keep our river clean.”

Other business sponsors included Hankerd’s Sportswear, VMD & Associates, Matador’s Pizza and Takeout, Foster Coffee Co., Mancino’s, Cheff’s Canoe Rental, and Waste Management.  The Friends and SCHD also received a grant in the amount of $2,000 from the Great Lakes Commission to support the event.

Lorraine Austin, Executive Director of the Friends, added “It truly takes a village to make this event come to fruition every year.  Families, businesses, students, elected officials, and others came together in record numbers – all with one thing in mind.  To clean the river (and have some fun while doing it).  It’s something we can all support.  We are more than thankful to everyone for their hard work.”

After the cleanup was over, participants gathered at the Don and Metta Mitchell Amphitheater in downtown Owosso to obtain a free t-shirt, grab some lunch (courtesy of Mancino’s), and swap stories.  Some of the more unique items found this year included a TV, bicycle, deer skull, trolling motor, Captain America shield, realtor sign, break up note, and more.  The cleanup t-shirts will most likely be seen all around this summer (and beyond).  When you see someone sporting one, please thank them for their participation as river stewards.

The 25^th (silver anniversary) river cleanup will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020. 

For more information, about upcoming Friends’ and SCHD events, visit their websites (www.shiawasseeriver.org & http://health.shiawassee.net and/or follow each on Facebook.

More sturgeon to be released into Saginaw Bay Watershed during public events
on Aug. 23

Local, state, and federal partners invite the public to a Lake sturgeon release celebration on Aug. 23, 2019, in
the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Releases will reintroduce 125 hatchery-raised sturgeon into each tributary of the
Saginaw Bay Watershed (Cass, Flint, Shiawassee, and Tittabawassee rivers). Short presentations will be made
at three of the events by local partners.

The schedule includes:

• A release at 10 a.m. on the Tittabawassee River. It will be held at the Bob G. Caldwell Municipal Boat

Launch in Midland, MI, and will be hosted by the Chippewa Nature Center. For more information,

contact Dennis Pilaske at dpilaske@chippewanaturecenter.org.

• The noon Shiawassee River release will take place at Cole Park in Chesaning, MI, and will be hosted by

the Friends of the Shiawassee River. For more information, contact Lorraine Austin at

lorraineA@shiawasseeriver.org.

• The noon Cass River release is at the Gunzenhausen Walkway in Frankenmuth, MI, and will be hosted

by the City of Frankenmuth. For more information, contact Daren Kaschinske at

dkaschinske@frankenmuthcity.com.

• The final release will be held on the Flint River at Mott Park Recreation Area. The release is not open to

the public due to construction in the area. For more information, contact Rebecca Fedawa at

rfedewa@flintriver.org.

Lake sturgeon are a unique Great Lakes species. They can grow up to 7 feet long and can weigh up to 300
pounds. The slow-maturing fish do not begin reproducing until they are 15-20 years old. Once abundant in
many Michigan lakes and rivers, lake sturgeon were nearly eradicated due to overfishing and habitat loss,
particularly the destruction of rocky reefs in rivers that sturgeon and other native fish species use for
spawning. In recent years, many partnerships and projects are working to restore sturgeon to a self-sustaining
level in Michigan. This work includes restoring sturgeon habitat, reintroducing sturgeon into their native
ranges, and raising awareness and appreciation for this unique species.
The Aug. 23, 2019, sturgeon release events are supported by a variety of partners including Bay County
Environmental Affairs and Community Development, City of Frankenmuth, Chippewa Nature Center, Flint
River Watershed Coalition, Frankenmuth Morning Rotary Club, Frankenmuth School District’s Chief Science
Officers, Friends of the Shiawassee River, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Sea Grant,
Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, MSU Extension, Saginaw Bay Watershed
Initiative Network, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Saint Lorenz School, Sturgeon for Tomorrow – Black Lake
Chapter, The Conservation Fund, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Learn more about the lake sturgeon restoration efforts on the Saginaw Bay Sturgeon website
(www.saginawbaysturgeon.org).

Further restoration of the Shiawassee River will be achieved as the final remnants of the Shiatown Dam are now being removed. The project has been long in coming (see history), and the Friends of the Shiawassee have worked with several state and local stakeholders to gain sufficient funding, meet regulatory requirements, and achieve safety, environmental, and recreational goals.  By the end of 2019 the Shiawassee River will be free-flowing at the site of Shiatown County Park.  

The Shiatown Dam is owned by the State of Michigan Land Bank, and they have sought to eliminate liability by removing this dangerous and obsolete dam where several children have drowned. In 2010, the Dam Safety Division of the State of Michigan had ordered steps taken to reduce the danger of dam failure, and in 2012 partial removal of the dam was accomplished. The State of Michigan asked the Friends of the Shiawassee River to assist with removal and restoration of the site.

The Friends have sought not only to eliminate a hazard in the river, but to take steps to restore the natural aspects of the Shiawassee River, create fish habitat, and expand recreation at Shiatown Park. To accomplish these goals, the Friends worked to secure funding from several state and private sources.  Most notably, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have provided both dam safety funds and an Aquatic Habitat Restoration Grant. Additional funding was secured from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN). Shiawassee County officials have lent technical advice and provided on-the-ground input on project design. 

Securing these grant awards, meeting funding requirements, and coordinating different grants from different sources were the first challenge of the project. Gaining regulatory approval for the restoration of the River, which will involve work in the riverbed itself and the movement of a considerable amount of dirt, was the second challenge.  The offices of State Representative Ben Glardon, and his successor Ben Frederick, helped move the project forward. All of it required patience and persistence from the volunteers working with and through the Friends. Four different executive directors for the Friends have been involved with the project. None of it could have been possible without the long-term commitment of GEI Consultants who provided engineering expertise.

Now, with water levels lower, a bid has been awarded for the final removal and restoration work.  The contractor has begun work and will be putting in long days Monday to Saturday and plan to get most of the work done by Labor Day.  Booms to collect sediment, called turbidity curtains, are one of several steps taken to protect water quality. 

For safety reasons, access to all of the site has been limited. The small boat launch at Shiatown East Park just downstream from the dam is closed. The next downstream public access is the Vernon launch.  Paddlers should either avoid, or take extreme caution, with any paddling trip in the area. Watercraft must exit the river well upstream of the dam. Once the project is complete there will ready access to the launch and no need to portage.  The Shiawassee offers many other excellent paddling alternatives (see our Paddling Resources). 

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 2^nd/3^rd place prizes will be announced at the Friends’ annual wine-tasting event on Wednesday, September 11^th 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 22^nd @ 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 29^th @ 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 22^nd 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.