2003 AW Deerfield River Festival

April 30, 2003

Volunteers Needed

Last year in mid-summer the Northeast Paddler’s Message board carried several threads that offered recommendations and suggestions for improving the Deerfield River Festival. One of the common themes in the threads was a desire for more structured activities and programs oriented to families. We read those threads and now we want to make something happen.

AW would like to integrate some of the creative suggestions offered by NPMB users into the 2003 Deerfield River Festival. In order to take advantage of the great suggestions offered, we are going to need some help. In the past, some of our best ideas have come from AW supporters who took an idea and ran with it; last year’s used boat sale was a great example. We are hoping that groups of paddling friends and clubs will decide to volunteer to help AW make these program ideas a reality in 2003.

If you and your paddling partners would like to volunteer with AW and make the Deerfield River Festival a wonderful blend of environmental, whitewater, and other outdoor activities, please call us, we would love to have your help.

Some of the program ideas from last year’s NPMB threads and suggestions from current volunteers include:

Environmental Programs
o Birds of preyo Portable trout pondo Exploration based river ecology program for children (2-3hrs)
Introduction to whitewater sportso Introduction to rafting/river safetyo Introduction to kayaking for pure beginnerso Equipment demo’s for intermediate and expert boaters on Fife Brook and Monroe Bridge sections
Other outdoor sports activitieso Mountain bike rides and rentalso Fly fishing demonstrationso Portable rock wall

We are looking for volunteers who feel passionately about one of these ideas who would help us plan, develop, and implement these programs. If any of these ideas sound like something you would be interested in, please call at 828-252-0728 or visit the Deerfield River Festival Volunteer page at http://www.americanwhitewater.org/events/info/DVolunteer.phtml.

Thanks for considering volunteering with American Whitewater. We look forward to meeting some new faces and working to make the Deerfield River Festival better than ever.

AW Deerfield River Festival Planning Committee

Our goal is to ensure that our nation’s remaining wild and free-flowing rivers stay that way, our developed rivers are restored to function and flourish, that the public has access to rivers for recreation, and that river enthusiasts are active and effective river advocates.