The Lake Wylie Riversweep Event
When
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Registration: 8:00 a.m.
Clean Up: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where
click this link for site locations
The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission organize Riversweep, the annual lake clean up event that will take place on the first Saturday in October.
This is a fun volunteer opportunity to clean up Lake Wylie and area creeks and streams. Come alone and bring your family, friends, co-workers or neighbors. Kids are welcome, and they are some of our hardest workers! You will join residents from all around the lake who care about maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Regardless of whether you’re a new participant or an experienced Riversweep volunteer, it's easy to come and lend a hand for a few hours, meet like-minded people, and have a great time. People who have limited physical ability can fulfill many of the tasks performed at each volunteer site.
Do you own a boat? If you do, please consider bringing it and pre-registering as a boat captain. Each year, as our volunteer numbers grow, we need more and more boats to transport workers to clean the shoreline and collect trash. Protective tarps will be provided.
Read through the following checklist to prepare yourself for Riversweep. Then click on the Register button above to pre-register online. It’s easy and takes just minutes to complete.
✓ Select a volunteer site that is convenient to you.
✓ Wear comfortable, old clothing, closed-toe shoes that can get wet and muddy, a hat or sun visor and sunscreen.
✓ Small children and infants need to bring an appropriate fitting life jacket to make sure that they are adequately protected. This is a requirement for all children and infants riding in the boats.
✓ Bring a snack or bag lunch with you, as no food is provided.
✓ Riversweep Site Captains will distribute work gloves and trash bags to their volunteers. Water coolers will be on-site to refilll your reusable water bottles.
✓ Be sure to read the Assumption of Risk & Release form. On the registration form, you will be asked to check a box stating that you agree to the terms stated in the form.
✓ Note for volunteers less than 18 years of age: You may pre-register online, but you are also required to print out a copy of the Assumption of Risk & Release form, obtain a parent or guardian signature on the form, and bring it with you to the event.
✓ Note for volunteers less than 13 years of age: Under state law, you must wear a Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when on board watercraft. If you have a PFD or life jacket of your own, please bring it to Riversweep and wear it when you're out on the water.
✓ If you have questions about the pre-registration process, please e-mail the Registrar at riversweep@catawbariverkeeper.org.
✓ Boat Captains must be 21 or older. Boat Captains under 25 years of age must have passed a state approved boater safety course.
The first 750 volunteers who pre-register will receive a free Riversweep t-shirt!
If you have not pre-registered, but want to participate, just show up on the first Saturday in October at 8:00 a.m. at any site location listed. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a t-shirt for participants who are not pre-registered prior to the event.
If you are pre-registering a group, be sure that you have 10 or more members, their names and t-shirt sizes. Then e-mail the Registrar at riversweep@catawbariverkeeper.org for separate registration instructions. If you are pre-registering a group of less than 10 members, just sign up as individuals and select the same site.
All registered group leaders and boat captains will be contacted in advance of the event by a Riversweep organizer to provide additional information and instructions.
Thank you for giving one morning out of the year to care for your lake and your community.