Mr340 Independent Spirit Awards

Labor Day seems like a good time to announce the first winners of the MR340 Spirit Awards. Open to racers, ground crews, and volunteers of the Missouri River 340 Canoe-Kayak Race, the MR340 Spirit Awards are bestowed upon individuals who demonstrate qualities that further aspects of the river or the event. Like most of life, winners of the Independent Spirit Awards receive no cash prizes (or corporate gift cards). Instead, Warrior Ant Press makes a small contribution in the honorees name to Missouri River Relief, which, among other river-related activities, provides safety boats for the MR340.

MR340 Independent Spirit Award Winners Awards are given for each of the first 5 years of the race. Hats off and paddles down for these honorees.

2006: toughness/kindness
Jim Low, Jefferson City, MO. A long-time outdoorsman and reporter, Jim sensed the true adventure of the race and wrote the first news articles about it when only 15 boats were involved. Over the last 5 years, several of Jim's articles have appeared in the Missouri Conservationist which, because of the widespread readership of the magazine (both in-state and out), has convinced many new to ultarmarathon racing to venture out on the Big Muddy.






Dawn Keller, Outer Banks, North Carolina. A survival trainer, at er being thrown from her boat during the first night of the inaugural race, Dawn went on to shepherd two boats to the finish line with her relentless spirit and simple mantra of "if you aren't paddling, then you aren't moving".






2007:sacrifice
Mark Handley, Holt, Missouri. When long-time friend Richard Lovell was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and Mark decided to race the river they loved. They were the last boats to arrive in 2007; a landing which moved anyone lucky enough to have witnessed it.







Barbara Edington, Groves, Texas. Since year 2, Barbara has worked 24-7 during the race, talking to checkpoint volunteers to provide near-real-time race results so that friends, family, reporters, and the general public, can follow the race as it unfolds.






2008:friendshipBlack Coffee, Smithville, MO and Uncle A Dog, Lee's Summit, MO. In a test of wills that will likely never be exceeded, Coffee and Dog, built home-made trailers and stuffed them inside their home-made kayaks. Lashed to the top were their bicycles. Shortly after landing in St. Charles, the dynamic duo reassembled everything and pedaled back to the start along the Katy Trail. Not tough enough for you? Try this without a ground crew; they did.

The Ninja Racoons: Jana Shannon Bradley. Durham, North Carolina and Mike Massey, Bellingham, Washington. In 2007,friends Jana and Mike drove from both coasts, meeting in the breadbasket of America to take on the Mighty MO. Through careful planning and determination, they managed to win their division in their first year of competition. The nocturnal pair returned in 2008 to defend their crown and were summarily crushed by the competition. They have not returned but have remained friends.

2009: inventiveness
Jodi Pfefferkorn, Rocheport, MO. Jodi continues to document the experiences of the MR340 and those who share a river life on film. Best be careful not to stand in the way of her camera or her razor-sharp wit.








Joe Wilson, Jefferson City, MO. The Mayor of Noren Access. Shed a tear in Joe's honor, he deserves it for creating a serene, beach-front park from a flood deposit.[photo:riverrelief.org]








2010: personal improvement
Joe Mann, San Antonio, Texas.The Dark Horse Paddler, after reading about the inaugural MR340, put out his cigarette and got off the couch. He stepped into a kayak for the first time in February, 2007 and in 3.5 years has become a formidable presence who contends in any race he enters.





Christina Glauner, Lawrence, KS.A veteran of all five MR340, Christina managed to convince 20 other people to sit in a dragon boat for 40 hours and paddle for the children. When the crew attempted to pitch one racalcitrant paddler overboard into the fog, Christina successfully intervened on their behalf.

river otter day

Unless I'm counting cards at the Black Jack table I'm generally not a fan of casinos. Occasionally though, they seem to do the right thing such as helping to sponsor River Otter Day. River Otter Day isn't really about otters but more about the Missouri River and riverfront development both of which could use some help. There have been some significant improvements in Kansas City's riverfront in the past 5 years. I suspect before the next decade passes we might even see a restaurant or two that overlooks the river. Not sure what the city has to do to develop a marina downtown but it could be as simple as rerouting the few barges that still use the Big Muddy to the Mississippi.

big mud, big clean-up, big muddy

From your pals @ MO River Relief.
Missouri River Cleanup. On the river!
Saturday, October 4 at 9:00 a.m., La Benite Park, Sugar Creek, MO

Come join us on a beautiful fall weekend to clean-up our beloved Big Muddy at our sixth annual KC area Missouri River Relief Clean-up.

This year's event will be headquartered at gorgeous La Benite Park in Sugar Creek, MO, just east of Kansas City, MO. Click here for more info and directions. This is the stretch of river downstream of the Blue River. With all the high water this year, there's tons of trash washed up on shore to get out there! We need your help! Register online by clicking here.

The clean-up starts at 9:00, with registration opening at 8:30. You'll be shuttled by boat out onto the banks of the Missouri, where you'll be dropped off to pick up all the trash you can possibly bag up. You'll be brought back to the park for lunch.

All volunteers receive work gloves, trash bags, an event t-shirt, a water bottle and lunch.

This event is rain or shine, so dress weather appropriately. Mud boots and long pants are recommended. No flip-flops are allowed on boats. Sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray and a reusable water container are recommended. If you have young kids, please bring lifejackets that fit. We have a limited supply of child sizes. Adult supervision is required for kids under 14.

Thanks, and we'll see you on the river!

Missouri River Relief
find out more:
mo river relief

river otter day

These folks, Vicki Richmond, West Coast coordinator for Missouri River Relief, and Vincent Gauthier, French historian for the KC Port Authority, would love to visit with on Saturday, March, 21st. And even buy you lunch.

All you have to do in return is show up at First and Main Street (near the pedestrian bridge and overlook) and lend a hand for a couple of hours cleaning winter debris from the Riverfront Heritage Trail. When you're done, take a walk along the river. I don't think you'll see an otter, but if you walk far enough you might see an eagle.