The Friends of the Shiawassee River (Friends) were to announce a new initiative on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22, on the banks of the Shiawassee River (after press time for today’s edition). The Adopt-A-River initiative will support the Friends of the Shiawassee River efforts to clean and monitor stretches of our waterway.
Neighborhood Cinema Group (NCG), a chain of movie theaters founded and headquartered in Owosso, made the first commitment to the Adopt-A-River. “Much like they support all of the communities they operate in, NCG is choosing to give back to the Owosso community through their sponsorship of the Friends of the Shiawassee River Adopt-A-River Program,” it was noted.
“I grew up fishing and kayaking on this river, so when I was approached by the Friends of the Shiawassee River to join the Adopt-A-River program I jumped at the chance,” said Jeff Geiger, vice president of corporate development for NCG Cinemas. “NCG Cinemas is still a family owned theater chain that started 30 years ago with one theater here in Owosso. We are proud to join with the Friends to adopt our river and recognize it as the invaluable asset it is to our community.”
The program was to be announced with the unveiling of a sign on the banks of the Shiawassee River just south of NCG Cinema in downtown Owosso.
“On behalf of the Friends of the Shiawassee board and membership, I want to thank Jeff Geiger and the whole NCG family for this generous gift,” said Lauri Elbing, executive director of the Friends of the Shiawassee River. “Building on the Friends’ suite of education, cleanup, and water quality monitoring programs, as well as promotion of fishing and kayaking, NCG’s commitment to Adopt-A-River – and the others that follow – will help unleash the potential of our mission and activities. Our Shiawassee River is a little piece of Up-North right here in our back yard.”
Businesses can become an Adopt-A-River sponsor for a commitment of $2,000 for two years ($4,000 total). Nonprofit organizations or service clubs can also become a sponsor for $1,000 for two years ($2,000 total) with a commitment to help maintain their stretch. For more information about the Friends of the Shiawassee River or the Adopt-A-River, persons may contact the Friends’ Executive Director Lauri Elbing at (989) 723-9062, info@shiawasseeriver.org. Persons can also visit www.shiawasseeriver.org to sign up for the Friends newsletters.
The mission of the Friends of the Shiawassee River is to Care, by maintaining and improving the health of the river; Share, by enhancing the community’s appreciation and knowledge of the river; and Enjoy, by increasing recreational access and responsible use of the river.
Neighborhood Cinema Group (NCG) is a family owned chain of movie theaters with locations throughout the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. With 19 theaters and over 150 screens. NCG maintains the latest technology and shows all of the new releases while allowing their patrons to enjoy a family friendly atmosphere.
