Riverthuggs recently held their first tire cleanup and 11 volunteers came out to support the cause.

According to Riverthuggs Owner Brett Morris, “a group of 11 volunteers took on the monumental task of removing tires from the Staunton River in Brookneal.”

Information from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said the Staunton River has boundaries around the counties of Charlotte, Campbell, Pittsylvania and Halifax.

He said while the water wasn’t the warmest, it wasn’t too cold either.

“Removal of the tires involved squatting down chest deep to dig out the unsightly mess. My estimates on the number of tires however was severely underestimated,” Morris said.

In addition, he said the course of the river changing made it impossible to carry the tires down the river on a larger craft.

He said about 40 tires were still waiting for pickup later in the week after the event was initially held.

“I have access from the Bass Sod Farms where we stacked the tires,” said Morris. There is still a ton of tires in the river and we plan to make several more clean up trips in 2018 for any interested individuals willing to help out.”

Volunteer Devon Davis said the event was a great community service experience. “Not only did we do our part to clean up our river, but we saw some great scenery and made some great memories. We look forward to cleaning up more next year and showing people how fun kayaking can be.”

Riverthuggs, an outdoor recreation company specializing in kayak floats, is based out of Phenix. Morris previously said, “I’ve been on the river my whole life. I just want to share what I love with others.” This is currently the third season the company has been leading floats. The usual routes run from Long Island to Brookneal and from Brookneal to Clarkton.

For more information about upcoming tire cleanups, visit Riverthuggs’ Facebook page or call (434) 661-0042.