Community members and corporate sponsors gathered in downtown Jackson for the Hatchie River Conservancy's annual fundraiser, an evening aimed at protecting one of West Tennessee's best-known waterways.
Where the money goes
Bob Ford, the conservancy's executive director, told WBBJ-TV that the money raised goes directly to conservation work meant to preserve "the ecological integrity and scenic beauty" of the Hatchie State Scenic River.
A river unlike most
The Hatchie spans more than 225 miles across six West Tennessee counties. WBBJ reported that it is the only un-channelized, naturally flowing river in the entire Lower Mississippi River Valley. In practical terms, that means that unlike many rivers in the region, its course has not been straightened or dredged into a ditch, so it still meanders, floods and shapes its bottomland forests on its own terms.
Awareness as a goal
Fundraising was only half the aim. Ford said the event is also meant to raise public awareness: "so that people know that we have a national, certainly a state treasure right here in our backyard in West Tennessee." He said the broader goal is to protect the river for future generations.
The conservancy's annual event brings together individual supporters and corporate sponsors, and the station's report did not say how much was raised. People interested in supporting the river can contact the Hatchie River Conservancy directly.
Sources: WBBJ-TV