Women, minorities, recent immigrants and low-income families will have the opportunity to explore Georgia rivers through some 14 canoe/kayak adventures offered by Georgia Rivers, a statewide river advocacy organization.
With support from many sponsors and supporters, the Athens-based group offers full and partial scholarships to qualifying individuals and families to participate in day trips, weekend adventures and a week-long Paddle Georgia event set for June 15-22 on the Tennessee River.
“We recognize the cost of registration and access to boats, gear and equipment are often barriers for many to join our trips,” said Rena Ann Peck, Georgia Rivers Executive Director, “Our goal is to connect all Georgians with the beauty and fun that can be experienced on Georgia’s rivers. This program is about encouraging participation among groups that are often underrepresented in the paddlesports and river advocacy communities.”
Most trips are suitable for beginners and novices, including the three nearest day trips on the St. Marys River near Folkston April 4-6, the Altamaha River near Brunswick May 2-4 and in the Okefenokee Swamp Nov. 79.
The roster of events also include trips on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta May 24 and the Yellow River in Covington Sept. 13 as well as overnight camping trips on Kinchafoonee and Muckalee Creeks near Albany Feb. 28-March 2; Ebenezer and Abercorn Creeks near Savannah Mar. 21-23; Chattahoochee River near Atlanta April 25-27; Big Cedar Creek near Rome July 26-27; Flint River near Albany Oct. 10-12.
The organization’s signature event, Paddle Georgia 2025, is a seven-day journey that begins June 15 on South Chickamauga Creek near Ringgold, GA runs through Chattanooga, TN on the Tennessee River and continues down that river to Stevenson, AL, ending June 22.
Several of the events highlight Black history along the paddle routes, starting with the Ebenezer- Abercorn Creek Adventure which will study the “Ebenezer Massacre” during the Civil War which led to the “40 acres and a mule” policy for emancipated slaves and the Savannah River “maroons,” a community of Blacks that lived near Abercorn Creek and refused to be subjected to slavery following the Revolutionary War.
The Altamaha River Delta paddle trip May 2-4 will explore the antebellum rice plantation culture of the Georgia coast. Paddlers will travel canals dug by the enslaved to facilitate rice cultivation on the river’s islands and learn about the Gullah-Geechee culture that grew from the enslaved people on Georgia’s coast.
The Big Cedar Creek Adventure July 26-27 will explore a small creek in Northwest Georgia’s
Floyd County that flows near Chubbtown, a community of free Blacks established shortly before the Civil War, and the restored Fairview-Brown School, a Rosenwald-endowed school for rural Blacks that operated from 1924 to 1968.
Most trips will be co-led by minority paddlers who have earned national certification as American Canoe Association (ACA) kayaking instructors.
“These trips are a great opportunity to connect to Black cultural history through the vehicle of kayaking,” said Janina Edwards, an ACA Level 2 River Kayaking Instructor, “Plus, you receive support in learning to kayak in calmer waters. I love being that link for people, as well as an ambassador.”
The scholarships range in value from $100 for day trips to nearly $500 for the organization’s annual week-long journey known as Paddle Georgia as well as kayaking and water safety training classes.
Applications for scholarships can be accessed at https://georgiarivernetwork. regfox.com/pad dle-georgia-scholarship-application. The full slate of paddle trips can be viewed at https://garivers. org/calendar-2/ The organization is now accepting applications for scholarships.
Georgia Rivers’ slate of kayaking skills and safety classes will be announced March 1. A limited number of scholarships will be available for these classes as well.
Formerly known as Georgia River Network, Georgia Rivers is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission of connecting people with and protecting Georgia’s rivers. It serves as Georgia Department of Natural Resources non-profit partner in coordinating the state’s water trail program.
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