Salty Saguaro Classic River Cleanup Fundraiser

Everyone is welcome, including youth volunteers, when they are accompanied & supervised by a parent, guardian, or adult group leader. We would be happy to sign service hours or provide a Confirmation of Volunteer Service letter.

Sign-in: 7:20-8 am | Safety Briefing: 8 am | Cleanup Ends: 12pm

*Please do not arrive early before sign-in opens, we will not be ready for you until 7:20a.m.

We will wrap up at noon for the cleanup raffle. Volunteers will receive a ticket to the raffle for each full bag of trash picked up from the river presented at the designated dumpster location. Must be present to win!

Raffle tickets are also available for donation, go back to the main Salty Saguaro Classic page on our website (link below) & follow instructions for raffle tickets. $5 for 1 ticket or $20 for 5 tickets. Remember, you can get free tickets by filling bags of trash collected from the river and bringing it to the dumpster, we will provide bags.

http://www.naturalrestorations.org/salty-saguaro-classic

You can also pre-order an event t-shirt for $25 using the link above, must pick-up at event. We will have a limited supply of additional event t-shirts at the event for a $30 donation, while supplies last.

Raffle Rules: Read through the Rules at the bottom of this page to ensure you have the best experience possible.

Volunteer Paperwork: We will email you volunteer paperwork a few days before the event. Please print the form, fill it out, and bring it with you to save time the morning of the event. If you forget it or don’t have a printer, no worries, we’ll have extras for you on site. If you need paperwork sooner, email Nicole at [email protected]

Event Staging Location: Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Fort McDowell, Arizona.

Directions: Everyone participating is meeting at Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the large parking lot for sign-in, safety briefing, and game plan for the morning. When you arrive at Phon D, take the 2nd left into the second section of the first parking lot. Once you park, come over to the shaded picnic area towards the back of the parking lot. Walk over to turn in your volunteer paperwork at the green Natural Restorations tent.

GPS Coordinates: 33.545795, -111.659794

***Do not use the EventBrite map to get there, it could send you to the wrong location. Use the GPS coordinates above to get to the event staging location***

Plug the GPS coordinates above into your phone or mapping system, or search Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Mesa, Arizona. Plan your route ahead of time, we won't be able to answer calls while getting everyone signed in.

Once the safety briefing is done, everyone is going to spread out. You can stay at Phon D Sutton or you can go up or down river to another recreation site if you are familiar with the area and have a favorite spot you want to clean or you can explore a new recreation site. *You must bring your trash back to our dedicated dumspter at Phon D to get a raffle ticket for it.

What to wear: Check the forecast before you head out so you can be prepared & dress accordingly. Please wear comfortable clothing & shoes that can get dirty, muddy, and possibly wet if you choose to go in the mud or water. Wear long pants, thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes for safety (no flipflops/sandals). Wear a hat, sunglasses for eye protection, and sunscreen. It will warm up quickly, wearing layers you can remove is helpful.

What to bring: please bring a reusable water bottle or hydration backpack. We will have water coolers full of ice water for you to refill your bottle or pack. We will provide gloves, bags, trash grabbers, & a dedicated dumpster. You are welcome to bring your own gloves & grabbers if you have them. Put masking tape with your name & number on any tools you bring.

*If you have any allergies that you carry an epi-pen and antihistamines for, please do not forget to bring them with you. This is a wilderness area along the Lower Salt River so it’s best to prepare for anything.

If you have water shoes, waders, or an old pair of shoes, this would be a great time to use them. If you prefer to stay on dry land, that's totally fine.

Kayakers & Paddle Boarders: If you would like to bring your kayak or paddle board to remove trash from the water that volunteers on foot cannot reach, that would be great! We suggest heading up to Pebble Beach after the safety briefing & launch from there.

*Make sure you bring your personal floatation device.

If you plan to leave the Phon D Sutton area, make arrangements to get back to Phon D before 12pm to turn in your trash bags for raffle tickets.

***If you float the river, ensure you bring enough water with you for your entire float.

Snacks: We will have light snacks for volunteers, including fruit. If you have any dietary restrictions, you may want to bring your own snack. You could bring a small cooler in your vehicle with cold beverages and snacks if you'd like.

Tonto Recreation Pass: You do NOT need one to participate in the event! If you plan to stay after the event, please purchase a Tonto Recreation Site. There is a kiosk at recreation areas along the river.

Bathrooms: There are vault toilets open to the public at recreation areas along the Lower Salt River, including Phon D Sutton.

NR Merch: We will also have Natural Restorations branded t-shirts, hats, stickers, and Tru Flasks available for a donation. Natural Restorations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Gilbert, Arizona and 100% of the proceeds go towards our Restoration Programs.

Youth Groups: If you need youth registration paperwork ahead of time for parent/guardian signatures, please email Nicole at [email protected] and we will email them over to you.

Groups: Please have your group leader email Nicole at [email protected] for a group sign-in sheet to save time the day of the event. The group leader can get everyone in their group signed in then one person can turn the sheets into us at the registration table.

Please familiarize yourself with the rules to ensure you are eligible for the trash cleanup raffle. We are not responsible for participants who are disqualified because they did not read & follow the event details & rules provided.

For each full bag of trash collected and brought up to the designated dumpster, volunteers will receive a free raffle ticket for a prize raffle. We will provide the bags & demonstrate during the briefing what is considered a full trash bag. Must be present to win; raffle begins at 12pm sharp!

Raffle tickets are also available for a donation! $5 for 1 ticket, $20 for 5 tickets. Get raffle tickets in advance or at the event. Please visit our main Salty Saguaro Classic event page on our website for instructions on getting raffle tickets in advance.

• If a piece of trash is too big to fit in a trash bag, volunteers will still receive a raffle ticket.

• If it takes more than one person to bring something heavy to the dumpster, each volunteer will receive a raffle ticket for that item.

We are working on a lot of amazing prizes for the raffle & will get them posted very soon!

If you have any other questions, please click on the CONTACT button at the bottom of this page or email us at [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Phon D Sutton Recreation Area (GPS: 33.545795, -111.659794), 33.545795, -111.659794, Mesa, United States