Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) will host its annual Barge Party at the Lake Davenport Sailing Club on River Drive and Oneida Avenue in Davenport on Thursday, August 12 from 5:30p.m.to 9:00 p.m. Chad Pregracke and his Living Lands & Waters' staff and crew will be on hand to celebrate thirteen years of river cleanups, environmental education workshops, river forest restoration projects, engaging communities in river stewardship. During these thirteen years, Pregracke has been the recipient of many awards including the Jefferson Award, American Institute for Public Service; Heroes of Conservation Nomination, Field & Stream Magazine and The Alumni Award and Dedication of The Pregracke Center at Heartland Community College in Normal Illinois.
Those in attendance will enjoy a true river feast with a fish fry & shrimp boil next to the beautiful Mississippi River. The LL&W crew will give tours of the house and garbage barges and host a meet and greet where attendees can meet members of the LL&W crew. There will also be a silent art auction, live music and a few words from Chad Pregracke and his crew to update you on the progress that has been made this year. "This event allows us to thank the Quad Cities and its residents for all that they do to help us in continuing to make the rivers a cleaner place. It all makes a difference and everyone should be thanked and rewarded," says Chad Pregracke, Founder & President of Living Lands & Waters. Tickets for the event are $35 per person. Reservations can be made by calling the office at (309) 496-9848 or going to their website at www.livinglandsandwaters.org.
Chad Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America's major rivers and to the education of people about environmental issues. From his single boat beginning, LL&W has grown to an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats, engaging thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental education workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a- River-Mile programs and the Million Trees Project. "This thank you and fundraiser is a perfect example of how much momentum and teamwork has helped this project progress. We have supporters flying in from all over the country to celebrate what we have accomplished so far", says Pregracke.
