Support a Paddler — Make a Pledge!
Mississippi River Challenge paddlers are counting on your support to make a difference for the river. Make your pledge today!
Visit our paddler search page to find a paddler's personal fundraising page and make a pledge.
Making a secure, on-line pledge for a participant in the Mississippi River Challenge is easy:
Visit our paddler search page and select your participant’s name from the drop-down list, or, if you don't see them, search for their last name as they may have opted for a private profile.
Don’t Want to Pledge on-line?
Participants also have the opportunity to collect and turn in pledges. To make a pledge with cash or check, contact the participant you would like to support.
Your Pledge Supports Vital River Protection Work
Pledges for the Mississippi River Challenge directly support the vital river protection work of Friends of the Mississippi River, an organization working to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in Minnesota's Twin Cities area. For more information on our organization, please visit the Friends of the Mississippi River page or go to FMR.org.
Join us at Historic Fort Snelling!
Wouldn't you like the chance to give your favorite paddler some encouragement at the mid-point of the event? Everyone is invited to join us on Saturday, July 24th for the festivities at Historic Fort Snelling.
Why your pledge is so important
The Mississippi River is one of the world's great rivers and is considered a natural resource of global significance. It is a defining geographic feature of the North American mid-continent. It’s watershed, or the area that drains to the river, draws from 31 states and two Canadian provinces. It is a flyway for tropical songbirds, is home to bald eagles, and is traversed by 40% of North America's ducks, geese, swans and other waterfowl.
Here in the Twin Cities, the Mississippi provides recreational opportunities for thousands of people. Its numerous riverside parks and trails are used for hiking, biking, fishing and bird watching. Many Twin Cities residents consider the river essential to their quality of life.
The Mississippi River is also the source of the Twin Cities’ drinking water, and numerous municipal and private wells are within its local watershed. Keeping the Mississippi clean is essential for public health – it’s not just about the health of the river.
Founded in 1993, Friends of the Mississippi River focuses specifically on protecting and improving the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River and its watershed. Our programs and projects fall into three basic categories:
- Protecting and enhancing water quality
- Conserving and restoring land along the river and its tributaries
- Stewarding the river’s cultural, ecological, scenic and recreational values
With over 1,500 members, 18 board members, and 16 full and part-time staff, Friends of the Mississippi River is successfully engaging community residents as active stewards of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In 2010, we will work with over 3,500 volunteers and hundreds of members and advocates to improve the health of the Mississippi River and protect the health and vitality of our Twin Cities community.
To find out more about Friends of the Mississippi River, or to become a member. visit FMR.org.