Cait's Campaign: Raising Funds for River Friends

I was first introduced to Chemung River Friends in 2019 when I started working at a local print shop in Elmira. It took three years and me moving to the area to finally attend one of their programs. I'm a hippie at heart and when I saw they were hosting a tree planting workshop I was hooked. I joined dozens of other volunteers on a blustery April morning in 2022 to plant 130 trees along the waterways at Eldridge Park. Now when I enjoy a walk around the lake, I am reminded of the impact I made three years ago when I see those trees thriving.

This is why Friends of the Chemung River Watershed is my favorite local organization, other than the obvious bias! When you volunteer with us or attend one of our programs you will see the lasting impact your time has on our community, on the local economy, and most importantly the Chemung River itself. The programs that we prioritize will do a combination of three things, they will educate, encourage safe and enjoyable recreation, and/or help out the local environment. These three pillars are what make our programs so impactful. We not only have fun paddling along one of the most beautiful rivers in the Southern Tier, we learn something new while doing it. We not only keep our brains active throughout the winter with speakers and workshops, we keep plastic out of the waste system and practice ways to reduce and reuse materials while we do it. And not only do we choose to spend a Saturday morning cleaning up trash along the river, but we have fun doing it; knowing that as overwhelming as all the trash we see floating around our neighborhoods every day is, that by taking a few hours to clean up some of it makes a huge difference to our local community and communities downstream as well.

Our programs and events are the life of this organization, that’s why I am so excited to not only spearhead this fundraising campaign, but I’m also eager to rais funds myself and blow my personal goal out of the water! Join me in ensuring programs like our Beginner Paddle Workshops, Guided River Paddles, River & Watershed Cleanups, Summer Youth Camps, and Coffee with Friends continue to run without interruption in 2026!