Paducah is pleased to announce the Tennessee RiverLine has awarded Paducah-McCracken County its Excellence in River Animation Award. The award recognizes the community’s commitment to providing access to river spaces and experiences through inclusive, innovative and safe programming.

“This year’s awards showcase partners who made substantial contributions to the success of the inaugural year of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program,” said Lizzy Gardner, Program Manager for Tennessee RiverLine. “Their individual and collective efforts in 2021 established a foundation for the program as a framework for collaboration to fulfill the vision for North America’s next great regional trail system and the economic development, public health, resource stewardship and equitable access benefits it promises.”

River Animation describes any activity that engages the river. Paducah-McCracken County hosted four community paddling events in 2021, including events in collaboration with the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah and training sessions at Noble Park Pool.

“I was thrilled that Paducah and McCracken County received the RiverLine’s River Animation Award for 2021 and that the Leadership Team’s hard work to host four events in their first year of participation in the RiverTowns program was recognized,” said Julie Harris, Executive Director of the River Discovery Center and chair of the local leadership team for the RiverTowns Program. “Our requirement in the program is to host one event annually, but the team felt strongly that our community deserved more opportunities to paddle than once per season. We knew there was quite a demand for this type of recreation. This year we look forward to hosting five events providing more opportunities for the area’s residents to get connected with our rivers like never before.”

The free paddling events planned for 2022 will take place on June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17 and October 15. Community members are encouraged to participate in these recreational and educational river paddling opportunities. For information regarding registration for paddle events, contact Paducah Parks and Recreation at (270) 444-8508.

For more information about visiting Paducah, visit https://www.paducah.travel/.