Georgia Rivers to host celebratory gala in September

Georgia Rivers, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state’s rivers, is hosting a celebratory gala in Atlanta on Sept. 18. The event will commemorate the organization’s successful efforts in halting a proposed project, in which a mine would have been built near the Okefenokee Swamp. For six years, Georgia Rivers fought the proposed mineral mine, a project that the nonprofit said would have “dewatered the canoe trails and headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers.” Among the ways Georgia Rivers combatted the project included “lobbying at the Capitol, increasing public awareness, leading Okefenokee Wilderness canoe trips and connecting nature philanthropists to The Conservation Fund who purchased the potential mine site property,” according to a release.  “While raising the visibility of the Okefenokee with music and movies and lobbying down at the Capitol is exciting, the most rewarding work is taking people boating on the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail and recruiting conservation buyers for protecting the swamp forever,” said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers. During the gala, Georgia Rivers will honor a number of people that the organization says played significant roles in protecting the Okefenokee Swamp. Among the honorees are Kim Bednarek (Okefenokee Swamp Park executive director), Andrew Schock and Stacy Funderburke (The Conservation Fund), Andrew Morse (president of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Congressman Billy Stuckey and Rev. Antwon Nixon (founder of nonprofit Sowing Seeds Outside the Walls). Additionally, the event will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Paddle Georgia, an annual week-long paddle and camping experience that Georgia Rivers offers for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the state. “When people are connected to our rivers, they care about them. And when they care about them, they protect them,” said Joe Cook, founder of Paddle Georgia. Event chairs Blain and Ivan Allen will host the gala at their family meadow, located near the Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta. “I first paddled into the Okefenokee as an 8th grader at Pace Academy, wide-eyed and awe-struck by a world so different from my own,” said Blain Allen. “Supporting Georgia Rivers and their mission to protect places like the Okefenokee is deeply personal for me. I am proud to chair this year’s Gala and help ensure future generations can fall in love with this swamp just like I did.” Proceeds from the event will go towards the Georgia Water Trails program and supporting Georgia Rivers’ work in promoting and protecting waterways throughout the state. The post Georgia Rivers to host celebratory gala in September appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.