PORTLAND, Ore. — A small group paddling to raise awareness and money for the Willamette River has reached its destination after a week on the water.
The nonprofit Willamette Riverkeeper organized the '187 Miles of Wonder' event, with the goal of raising $1,000 per mile.
That fundraiser continues through August but the paddlers have finished their journey, which started in Eugene and ended in Portland.
"We made about 20 to 25 miles a day," executive director Travis Williams said.
Williams spoke with KGW over Zoom as the group came ashore for a short break on Ross Island Saturday morning. Several hours later, they arrived to Kelley Point Park, where the Willamette meets the Columbia.
Money raised will go to Willamette Riverkeeper's ongoing efforts to preserve natural habitats and reduce pollution.
"While it's great to have a lot of new folks accessing the river, we don't want to create more problems due to that fact," Williams said.
Throughout the journey, Williams posted and livestreamed updates online. Some included reminders about litter and keeping riverside campsites cleaner than how people found them.
"There's just been hundreds and hundreds of people we've seen [and] dozens we spoke with throughout the trip," Williams said. "And everybody was enjoying their time on the river and appreciating what it provided to them."