On the morning of October 17th, FSCR held its first annual 5k and 1k “Trout Trot” fundraiser. The race was an out and back, up and down for the 5k and down and up for the kids 1k. With over 50 participants, the family and river friendly event was undoubtedly a huge success. Two years in the making the Friends were very excited to finally bring this much anticipated activity to the community.
The fundraiser created a great opportunity for members of the community to learn more about the Santa Clara River’s ecosystem, how humans and biodiversity benefit from its resources and the importance of keeping the river clean and unpolluted. Early morning prior to the event, several volunteers showed up for a river cleanup and removed several bags of anthropogenic debris from the site.
The Friends of Santa Clara River gives special thanks to volunteers Robert, Jose and Victoria for planning and making this event possible and all the other volunteers who came for the cleanup, and help out with setup and crowd management. Also a shout out goes to Nina for organizing the pre-event cleanup. Additional thanks to Rio School District, City of Oxnard and the Ventura County Watershed District for permission and permitting to launch the first of many annual Santa Clara River events. Donors included the Ventura Bike HUB, Mile 26 Running Co, Trader Joe’s, Matilija Nursery, and Ralphs.
Right: Winner of drawing for a bicycle donated by Ventura Bike HUB!
Friends of the Santa Clara River 