On June 11, ICON Water Trails hosted the first-ever ICONic Riverfest – made possible by Polk County – raising nearly $25,000 and removing 560 pounds of debris and 15 trailer loads of invasive species surrounding the region’s waterways. ICONic Riverfest is a regional volunteer initiative dedicated to furthering ICON’s mission of improving the quality, safety, and enjoyment of central Iowa’s water trails, with funds raised by the event directly supporting these goals.

Morning Kick-Off

The event began with a morning coffee hour, with welcoming remarks from ICON Executive Director, Stephanie Oppel, and Polk County Supervisor, Angela Connoly. Cole Miller, ICON Regional Coordinator, provided a safety briefing for volunteers following remarks.

The Cleanups

Volunteers then dispersed to cleanup sites across the region, where they worked in teams to remove debris and invasive species and make various park improvements. The event brought together approximately 140 volunteers at 11 cleanup locations across ICON’s network, including Altoona, Bondurant, Des Moines, Johnston, Norwalk, Polk County, Polk County Conservation, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights parks.

Lunch & Celebration

Following the cleanups, volunteers celebrated the day’s achievements at Captain Roy’s with lunch and live music, performed by Andy Fleming of Brother Trucker Band.

Sponsors

ICONic Riverfest was made possible by Polk County, and several other keys sponsors including Athene, Nationwide, Principal, MidAmerican Energy, ISG, Businessolver, Knapp Properties, Turner Construction, Estes Construction, the Great Outdoors Foundation, Polk County Conservation, and Des Moines Water Works.