“Looking for a new adventure? Well, it’s official. Starting Saturday, August 13th, you can legally kayak the Los Angeles River.
The pilot program, Paddle the LA River, will run from August 13th to September 25, 2011, Saturdays and Sundays only.
The Los Angeles Conservation Corps will offer supervised educational canoe and kayak trips down a 1.5 mile stretch of the Los Angeles River in the San Fernando Valley at the Sepulveda Basin.”
El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula
Saturday, April 30, 2011
LOS ANGELES - The “LA River Day of Service,” taking place Saturday April 30, 2011, will bring community awareness to the Los Angeles River and watershed issues by mobilizing volunteers city-wide through service and civic engagement. The “LA River Day of Service” is part of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s “We Serve LA” volunteer and service campaign and will bring together Angelenos throughout the City in an effort to learn about how we are all connected to the LA River (and its tributaries) and find ways to continue revitalizing this urban treasure.
The “LA River Day of Service” will consist of an array of service projects, beautification, community education, and fun-filled activities along the river (from the Valley to the Eastside). The day will engage countless community groups and individuals volunteering together to improve neighborhoods and bankside sites along the 51-mile L.A. River. Mayor Villaraigosa and other community leaders/celebrities/sponsors will travel on a trolley and visit targeted service projects along the river. Service activities take place in the morning, culminating with a volunteer celebration featuring a free concert by GRAMMY® Award-winning Ozomatli at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in the afternoon.
The “LA River Day of Service” is organized in conjunction with the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) and will include the participation of other community based organizations, schools, and neighborhood councils. These groups include the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Keep America Beautiful, LA River Revitalization Corp., Los Angeles River Project, San Fernando Valley Audobon Society, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority, Heal the Bay, Urban Semillas, Pacoima Beautiful, & Girls Today Women Tomorrow, Pacific Asian Volunteer Association. We have over 50 community service projects taking place and expect between 5,000 – 8,000 volunteers to participate throughout the day.
The event will culminate at El Rio de Los Angeles Park where volunteers will be thanked by the Mayor and others for their service, have lunch and be treated to a free concert by LA’s own “Ozomatli.” Community and sponsor booths will be set to provide relevant information to those in attendance. Daphne Zuniga, actress and part of the cast of the CW’s “One Tree Hill,” will serve as MC for the culmination ceremony.
As an added bonus to celebrate the Los Angeles River, Ozomatli, the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the Office of the Mayor will organize “Songs of the LA River,” where local students will have an opportunity to submit songs about the river. Selected student songs will be performed live by Ozomatli during their concert on the river. KCET will also be on hand to document the many stories from people who have experienced the LA River through their public media programs Departures and StoryShare.
For more information on the “LA River Day of Service” please contact Rafael Gonzalez (rafael.gonzalez@lacity.org).