Special to The Beacon ATHENS – Georgia Rivers will host the Georgia Rivers Gala at the Ivan Allen Family Meadow in Atlanta Thursday, September 18 to celebrate saving the Okefenokee swamp from a proposed mine and celebrate 20 years of Paddle Georgia.
The benefit, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., will help fund the Georgia Water Trails program and efforts to protect the Okefenokee from future mining threats.
Georgia Rivers is the only statewide advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting Georgia rivers. Georgia Rivers is also the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ non-profit conservation partner managing the statewide water trails network.
Georgia Rivers promotes and protects water trails across the state from the Chattahoochee and Ocmulgee River Water Trails to the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail.
For six years Georgia Rivers used science and advocacy to fight a proposed mineral mine on the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge that could have dewatered the canoe trails and headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers.
Georgia Rivers played a key role in keeping the mine from moving forward by raising the visibility of the swamp, lobbying at the Capitol, increasing public awareness, leading Okefenokee Wilderness canoe trips and connecting nature philanthropists to The Conservation Fund who purchased the potential mine site property from Twin Pines Minerals.
“While raising the visibility of the Okefenokee with music and movies and lobbying down at the Capitol is exciting,” said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers, “the most rewarding work is taking people boating on the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail and recruiting conservation buyers for protecting the swamp forever.”
Georgia Rivers has led kayak and canoe trips on rivers and creeks across the state for over two decades. This year is the 20th anniversary of Paddle Georgia.
This annual week-long paddle and camping adventure is the largest of its kind in the nation and has introduced thousands to Georgia rivers. Paddle Georgia takes place on a different Georgia river each year to connect participants to the beauty and importance of our waterways and invite them to advocate for river recreation and conservation.
“When people are connected to our rivers, they care about them. And when they care about them, they protect them,” said Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia founder.
The Georgia Rivers Gala will honor the 2025 Okefenokee champions influential in protecting the wild space for the next generation, including: ● Okefenokee Swamp Park executive director Kim Bednarek will be honored for her work to nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
● Andrew Schock and Stacy Funderburke of The Conservation Fund will be honored for achieving the historic conservation buyout of the Okefenokee Trail Ridge mine site.
● Andrew Morse, president and publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, will be honored for tenacious media coverage to protect the Okefenokee from mining threats.
● Congressman Billy Stuckey will be honored for designating the Okefenokee Wilderness.
● Swamper Rev. Antwon Nixon, founder and director of Sowing Seeds Outside the Walls, will be honored for leading local initiatives in Folkston.
The Georgia Rivers Gala will also honor the Muscogee Creek Nation as the first people to paddle and protect Georgia rivers.
The gala will honor Chief David Hill of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and feature Muscogee artisans that use traditional art to celebrate the Muscogee stewardship of Georgia rivers.
● Muscogee cultural artist John John Brown will represent the Muscogee Canoe Paddle Project and present with a carved dugout canoe and paddles decorated by fellow Muscogee artists ● Kenneth Johnson, an acclaimed Muscogee/Seminole metalsmith, achieved significant recognition for his bronze canoe paddle titled 'Genesis”.
● Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) advocacy director Tracie Revis will be honored for her work to create Georgia's first national park at the ancient Muscogee mounds along the Ocmulgee River.
The Georgia Rivers Gala is hosted by event chairs Blain and Ivan Allen at the Ivan Allen Family Meadow, a fitting backdrop for the Georgia Rivers Gala.
The family estate near the Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta is steeped in history and surrounded by creeks that serve as a reminder that water connects us all.
“I first paddled into the Okefenokee as an 8th grader at Pace Academy, wide-eyed and awe-struck by a world so different from my own,” said Blain Allen. “The stillness, the wildlife, the mystery — it was unforgettable. But what stayed with me just as much was the experience of paddling alongside classmates who became lifelong friends, learning together about the power and fragility of nature.
“That trip sparked my deep appreciation for Georgia’s wild places and showed me how rivers shape not just landscapes, but people too. Supporting Georgia Rivers and their mission to protect places like the Okefenokee is deeply personal for me. I am proud to chair this year’s Gala and help ensure future generations can fall in love with this swamp just like I did.”
Join outdoor recreation enthusiasts, conservationists and leaders from across the state at the Gala. Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception, oldfashioned fish fry, brief awards ceremony, and live music by Rob Jordan & Friends.
VIP reception for honorees, sponsors and host committee kicks off the event at 5 p.m. Proceeds from the Georgia Rivers Gala will benefit the Georgia Water Trails program and Georgia Rivers work to promote and protect waterways across the state, such as the Okefenokee Swamp.
The presenting sponsor of the Georgia Rivers Gala is Butler Prather LLP. To become a sponsor or get tickets to the Georgia Rivers Gala, please visit the event webpage at https://garivers.org/georgia- rivers-gala-2025/
