There wasn’t a trophy catch, but there was lots of stuff pulled from the Fox River Saturday in Aurora.
Hundreds of volunteers braved the chilly weather in puffy coats and wading boots to clean up the banks of the Fox River as part of a community effort inspired by the local Kiwanis Club.
“One Day in Aurora” is a hands-on service project that brings people of all ages together with the common focus to do something good, organizers said.
The Kiwanis partnered with the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District, the city of Aurora, Aurora Township and the Fox Valley Park District, which provided a variety of resources to pull off the cleanup, including the facility for people to register, buses to transport volunteers, and crews to haul away the heavy bags of trash.
Ten groups picked up debris along a 2.5-mile stretch of the riverbank, from Illinois Street south to Ashland Avenue.
And by chance, a group of anglers from the West Aurora High School bass fishing team were on the west bank, just south of the downtown. Team coach Jim Dahle said a tournament in central Illinois was canceled due to snow and ice there, so the team pitched in.
Dahle considered the change of plans a teaching moment, especially since the Fox River has a diverse fish population. He’s a science teacher at Jewel Middle School in West Aurora School District 129.
“The kids fish the local ponds and the river,” he said. “It’s a resource they need to take care of, just as any other place.”
People gathered at the Fox Valley Park District’s Cole Center where they registered, got their assignments and boarded buses.
Kiwanis member and event chairman Pat Divine said 400 people registered. Another 144 Waubonsee Community College students were assigned to clean up debris along Indian Creek, which is adjacent to the Fox River.
“These people care for their community. It’s a wonderful show of support. We have to take care of the river for the kids,” said Divine, who is the human resources coordinator at Fox Metro.
Shawn Loomis has fished the Fox River since he was young.
“I have found the weirdest things in the river,” said Loomis, 26. “I have found coats, socks, and once snagged a tire. The quality of the river has gotten better though. It’s healthy.”
Max Manley, 14, said he frequents the river to fish.
“The Fox River is a great resource. It’s a shame that people toss their litter,” he said.
Jim Pilmer, executive director of the Fox Valley Park District, said the volunteer effort will go a long way in picking up the litter that has accumulated over the long winter. The park district has 12 miles of trails along the river.
“This is a tremendous spring cleanup and we are the beneficiaries,” Pilmer said. “The spirit of volunteerism to protect our natural resources is the most important piece of this project. We love our interstates, but the rivers, streams and trails are the infrastructure that brings our communities together.”
Aimee Rogowski was accompanied by her 12-year-old daughter, Ellie. “We are here to instill an attitude of gratitude in our home,” the Aurora mother said.
Rogowski comes from a long line of community volunteers. Her parents are Terry and Paul DesCoteaux. Paul DesCoteaux, who died in 2012, was a veteran Geneva alderman and served as interim mayor in 1996. He was the founder of the Geneva Beautification Committee that plants the public gardens on street corners in the downtown during the spring.
“We want to be part of the community making Aurora better,” Rogowski said. “Ellie is very much like my father. She’s a little version of my father at times.”
Kiwanis member Rick Guzman headed a group from Simply Destiny, a non-profit dance troupe whose mission is to raise suicide prevention awareness.
The youngsters started on the west bank of the river at West Park Avenue and worked their way south to New York Street.
The group found an assortment of debris in the river — lots of plastic bags, a laptop computer, a guitar and a baseball glove, as well as bones from aquatic life.
“We saw a lot of the aspects of the circle of life,” Guzman said.
Guzman said the project has a positive outcome overall.
“These are kids who are supporting one another, and getting involved in their community at a young age. Knowing you are working with some great people is what makes it all worthwhile to get up early on a Saturday morning when it’s 18 degrees outside,” he said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
