Story By Katie Hightower
Do you want to give back to the community? Would you like to see Jackson County glow? A volunteer opportunity to serve Jackson County and make it more beautiful will be available soon.
On Oct. 4, the Bridgeport local leadership team of the Tennessee RiverLine will host its second annual Tennessee River Rescue clean-up day. This community service event will be available to anyone who’s willing to help pick up trash along the shoreline. Church groups, civic organizations, school clubs and sports teams were invited to help clean up the river.
“Taking part in the Tennessee River Rescue is about more than removing litter. It is about showing pride in Jackson County and ensuring that both residents and visitors experience the beauty that makes our community so special,” said Lydia Fielder, Executive Director of Tourism with Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
The Tennessee RiverLine has 652 miles of trails for outdoor recreation from Knoxville, Tennessee to Paducah, Kentucky. River towns were designated as stops along the Tennessee RiverLine. Bridgeport landed at mile marker 412.4. Lieutenant Colonel John Walker, Co-chair of Bridgeport LLT of the Tennessee RiverLine, said the RiverLine gave kids an opportunity to learn about kayaking and water safety. He said through the RiverLine, over 300 students from Jackson County Schools learned about the river and what it had to offer.
Walker is excited about the clean-up event.
“This is a stewardship event to take care of our RiverLine. We want to make this an annual opportunity for everyone,” Walker said. “Last year was our first year to do it. This year, we’re going to weigh the trash afterwards to see how much we collected.”
The clean-up will be held at the end of 6th Street in Bridgeport. It will kick off at 9 a.m. and last until noon. Trash bags, gloves and trash pickers will be provided and those who sign up for the event in advance will receive a t-shirt. Flat bottom boats with trolling motors were preferred for picking up trash along the river’s edge but any help will be appreciated.
For more information and to sign up for the event, please visit, https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/bridgeport-area-tennessee-river-rescue-clean-up
