Two days and 50 miles. That is how long it will take kayakers to paddle the Cuyahoga River from Kent State University to Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative for the 5th annual Crooked River Commute. The event is intended to promote the river as a shared asset for education, recreation, and sustainability.
The kayakers will leave from Heritage Park in Kent on Friday, Aug. 10, and celebrate their return to Cleveland by paddling into the Cleveland Flats neighborhood on Saturday, Aug. 11. The flotilla of 18 kayakers is expected to arrive at the Cleveland Metroparks Merwin’s Wharf on Saturday evening. An arrival party is planned at Merwins Wharf on Saturday from 6-8 p.m. to cheer on the paddlers and enjoy the riverfront surroundings.
Kent State University students, faculty, alumni, and friends will complete the trek, which includes overnight camping at Heritage Farms in Peninsula. Kayaks will be provided by Kent State’s Crooked River Adventures, a livery offering recreational and instructional opportunities on the Cuyahoga River and Mogadore Reservoir. The Crooked River Commute team hopes to raise awareness about riverfront communities, promote freshwater design issues, and produce a documentary film about the journey.
Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative and Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design are committed to promoting the ecological health of the river and its recreational opportunities through outreach as well as educational and academic programs designed to promote the river as a critical asset to the region’s future.
The kayakers will be sharing their journey live though social media. You can follow them through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #CrookedRiverCommute.
For more information on Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design, visit www.kent.edu/caed.
For more information on Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, visit www.cudc.kent.edu.
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Photo Caption:
Kent State University students paddle down the Cuyahoga River during a Crooked River Adventures kayaking trip.
Media Contacts:
David Jurca, djurca@kent.edu, 216-337-4303
Kristin Anderson, kander63@kent.edu, 330-672-7907