Event Description
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Will Glover 772-260-9568, williamlglover@gmail.com
Michelle Weiler 772-285-917, michellew21@gmail.com
37-Mile River Crisis Awareness Run Planned by TCRunning
Running the Toxic Trail for Clean Water
STUART, FL- On Saturday June 29, 2019 at 6:00 am a group of runners, walkers, and bikers will be following the flow of water, nicknamed the Toxic Trail, being released from Lake Okeechobee at Port Mayaca Locks into the St. Lucie River, a distance of 37 miles.
The run/walk is designed to bring awareness to the impact the discharges from Lake Okeechobee have on the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon estuary. The event is being organized by the local running/endurance community. Local environmental advocacy groups including the Rivers Coalition, RiverKidz, Citizens for Clean Water, BullSugar.org, and the Indian Riverkeeper will be out to support the participants. Anyone that is interested in raising awareness about the local water crisis is welcome to participate either by running, walking, riding, or providing support along the route from Port Mayaca Locks on SW Kanner Highway (Hwy 76), East to downtown Stuart, to East Ocean Blvd, to Stuart Beach on Hutchinson Island (following the toxic water flow). The first runners to complete the distance will be expected to arrive at Stuart Beach between 12pm – 2pm, but others walking the route will be taking most of the day to complete the distance.
Organizers offer a word of caution to those supporting this endeavor since standard water and medical stops will not be available for this event.
Running, hiking, riding, and any strenuous sport requiring physical endurance, should not be undertaken without knowing your capabilities. It is especially hot and humid this time of year making it an even more exhausting and dangerous effort.
GOAL: To bring continued awareness to the toxic water being dumped into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon estuary causing the blue-green algae bloom that is destroying Martin County’s way of life and one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the northern hemisphere.
RESTORE THE NATURAL FLOW: A long-term permanent solution is required and the science is universally agreed upon through the utilization of land south of Lake Okeechobee for storage, restoration, and to send the water south to return the historic flow to the Everglades, the natural filtration of the river of grass. Senate Bill-10 has already been approved specifically for this purpose, but is stagnating within the political process.
For more information, please visit the Facebook event page or contact Will Glover at 772-260-9568, orwilliamlglover@gmail.comor Michelle Weiler at 772-285-9177 or michellew21@gmail.com.
