Subject: 🍉You are Invited to FriendsFest!🍉

 You Are Invited!

 FriendsFest 2023!


Date: Sunday, September 17 (rain date 9/24)

Time: 4pm to dusk

Location: 111 Mill Race Rd, Verona--Shirley and Stuarts beautiful riverfront property

Bring: Dish to share, drinks

            Reusable plates, cups and utensils

            Chair or blanket

            Kids, YES!

            Dogs, sorry, NO.

Please RSVP HERE!

 

Please come to FOMR’s yearly barbecue to celebrate the Middle River! Two lucky raffle winners will leave with a grand prize of either a new kayak, or stand-up inflatable paddle board, and there are many more raffle prizes to be drawn for those attending. 

 

WE ARE BRINGING BACK OUR POTLUCK! We ask you to bring a dish to share, your own reusable plates, cups and utensils.  FOMR is providing BBQ, buns and sauces.  


Schedule:

·       4:00-4:30pm  Multi-generational group games for ALL ages

        4:15-5:00pm  Chat with environmental organization representatives

                                       Valley Conservation Council

                                       Chesapeake Bay Alliance

                                       Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation

                                       Izaac Walton League of America

                                Educational streamside talks

                                       Riparian Buffers with Wren (Valley Conservation Council)

                                       Litter in Rivers with Dave, Shaun and Angela (FOMR)

·       4:00-5:00pm Silent auction (check, cash or credit cards accepted)

·       5:00pm Raffle ticket sales and silent auction bidding closes

·       5:00-6:00pm Dinner and socializing

·       6:00pm   Volunteer recognition

              Raffle and auction winner announcements

 

We hope you will join us for this fun evening of comradery as we give thanks for our sponsors, volunteers, and our amazing resource…The Middle River!   


Want to VOLUNTEER? If you are coming to FriendsFest and want to help make the party happen, we need you! There are no less than 40 different volunteer task roles you can choose from to help with before, during or after the party. Scroll down the document to see your choices and sign up for a task HERE!



FriendsFest Silent Auction


At FriendsFest 2023, we will again offer a small, on-site silent auction of some amazing items. Come prepared to participate!


Here is a sampling of a few items you will be able to bid on between 4:00-5:00pm at the picnic.

 

Raffle Tickets For Sale Online


Whether or not you attend our FriendsFest Picnic on September 17, you can win one of the two great prizes pictured above from our raffle! And if you come to FriendsFest, there will be other prizes and a silent auction opportunity.

Hyperlite Elevation 10'-2" Inflatable Stand Up Padleboard Package

10' Yellowfin Vibe Wildfire 100 Sit-on-Top Kayak

Raffle tickets can be purchased online HERE!


Photos above by Debbie Pugh.

Education: 2023 River Roundup


July 22nd was the third year FOMR held our educational “River Round-up” at Shenandoah Valley Campground. Campers visited four activities: litter, leaf art, and river critters programs, and they used underwater viewers. About 75 camper kids and their parents visited, splashed, participated and engaged during this one-hour education for all ages. Thank you Shenandoah Valley Campground for letting us bring our message to camp again!

Photos above by Debbie Pugh

Middle River Cleanup 2023


We will have all the statistics of achievement and more photos next month, but for now we just want to thank the 87 volunteers who put their heart, soul, sweat and back muscles into the annual river clean up this year!

Best Management Practices

for Residential and Urban Properties


From the Headwaters Soils and Water Conservation District's website: "The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs).


These practices can be installed in areas of your yard where problems like erosion, poor drainage, or poor vegetation occur. Qualified sites shall be used for residential, commercial, or recreational purposes with a proposed practice that addresses a need.


Most practices are eligible for 75% cost-share and some practices provide a flat incentive payment up to the installation cost.

The Headwaters SWCD hopes that these residential resources can provide some assistance to homeowners and local community members. One goal of the district is to increase educational outreach for the residential sectors of Augusta County and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro in hopes to increase conservation and pollution prevention awareness. Please let the district know if we can be of any assistance for questions or concerns you may have about local environmental issues in your community!

Contact the District Office to learn more at 540-248-0148.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day:

September 16


Augusta County's 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is Saturday, September 16, 8:30am-noon at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona. See a full list of what they will take and not take HERE!

Education Volunteer Appreciation


Environmental education is arguably the FOMR activity that delivers the furthest-reaching impact, hopefully for generations to come. All our activities are educational in some way, but our programs designed for homeschools, public schools, campground guests and festivals like Earth Day Staunton and Riverfest have the sole focus of river ecosystem education and these events allow our message to reach thousands of citizens from our community. We are so lucky to have enthusiastic, fun, skilled volunteers to help lead and assist with our programs and we have a good number of professional educators who really know how to make the river come alive for participants. We are so grateful for all of you!


Current RAP Booklet Version 3.16.23

Up and Coming


September


16       Augusta County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day

17 FriendsFest BBQ & Picnic, 4pm- dusk

24 Rain Date Backup for FriendsFest

26 FOMR Board Meeting, 6:30-8:30pm, open to all



Friends of the Middle River

P.O. Box 131,

Verona, VA 24482

540-609-8267

Web: www.friendsofthemiddleriver.org

Email: info@friendsofthemiddleriver.org

Friends of the Middle River, PO Box 131, Verona, Virginia 24482, United States

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    This is an online snapshot of a newsletter created by the owner of All Members (fka fomrmccue) (Friends of the Middle River, PO Box 131, 24482 Verona, United States) and sent via GetResponse on 2023-08-30. Report abuse