Graduate assistant Jenna White has taken on the role of coordinating the cleanup. Photo by Brandy Carl.
Students, faculty and community members will have the chance to participate in the 29 annual Tuck River Cleanup Saturday.
Registration begins at 11 a.m. on the UC Lawn and lasts until 1 p.m. Preregistration is not available. The first 500 in line will receive a free tee-shirt.
From there, participants will be given either life jackets and paddles or safety vests if they would rather do roadside pickup. Those wanting to clean the river will be shuttled to the Dillsboro River Company. Participants will float down the river in rafts and collect trash or pick up trash on the side of the road.
The shuttle will begin taking groups back at 3 p.m. The last of the groups will arrive by 5 p.m., in time for an outdoor cookout on the UC lawn for those who participated in the cleanup.
Local band Porch 40 will be performing on the lawn during the cookout. Door prizes and yard toys will also be available.
This year, graduate assistant Jenna White is organizing Base Camp Cullowhee’s event.
The cleanup was created to help combat the effects of water pollution on the Tuckaseegee River. The cleanup is now the largest single-day cleanup in the United States, with between 500-800 volunteers on average, said White.
“It’s [the Tuckaseegee River Cleanup] a great opportunity. I’ve enjoyed planning it,” said White.
