Friends of the River and City Utilities are seeking volunteers for its
Clean the Drains Day on September 23.
Cleans the Drains Day is a community-wide effort to protect our neighborhoods and rivers, where volunteers come together to clear and mark our storm drains, sponsored by Friends of the Rivers and City Utilities.
Volunteer groups will be outfitted with the Clean the Drains kit, which includes all of the equipment and instructions needed, as well as a commemorative t-shirt for each volunteer. Volunteers are invited to clear their designated drains anytime in the week leading up to September 23. Each cleaned drain will be marked with a special medallion.
On September 23, all volunteer teams that mark 12 drains or more are invited to Promenade Park at noon for pizza and to meet Friendly the Otter, the spokes-otter for Clean the Drains Fort Wayne. At 1 p.m., there will be entertainment, live music, food trucks and more as part of the Clean Drains Fest.
Organizers are encouraging people to invite their friends, family, coworkers and classmates to join them in volunteering.
“Our humble storm drains, the gateways to our rivers, may be inconspicuous, but their role in our city is paramount,” according to a press release from the City of Fort Wayne. “Storm drains protect our homes, roads and local waterways from the dangers of flooding by channeling rainwater safely away. But when they're clogged, they can cause street flooding or push pollutants like leaves, plastics, animal waste and other garbage into our rivers.”
Sign up or learn more about Clean the Drains Days at
http://cleandrainsfortwayne.org/. All volunteers must be signed up by September 2.
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