Welcome to the
2024 Greenway Current
Dive into our digital review of The Greenway Foundation’s (TGF) year to get a glimpse of the tangible environmental improvements we’ve made through community events and water projects, see how we brought students to the river, and discover what hard-fought victories we won when it comes to protecting our rivers. We have a lot to share, and we’re excited for you to see how 2024 was a year for the books.
Our Proudest Moments from 2024
of federal funding for the City and County of Denver, along with local match funding, has created the single largest financial commitment to the South Platte River ever.
were completed in riverside parks and green spaces as part of The Greenway Foundation’s community stewardship projects.
attended South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) camps, excursions, and events to make lasting connections to the river.
attended our summer river festival, CROSSCURRENTS.
chose to support our work through over $700,000 in grants and sponsorships.
gave to our monthly giving program, Friends of Greenway.
Dear Friends and Supporters of The Greenway Foundation,
As we reflect on the last 50 years of work along the South Platte River, it’s impossible not to marvel at how far we’ve come—and how much more we still have to achieve. From the neglected, polluted river that defined much of the urban landscape in the 1960s, to the thriving, vibrant Greenway that serves as a beloved community resource today, our shared vision has transformed the South Platte into an environmental, cultural, and recreational amenity for the people of Denver.
Our journey began in 1974 when the visionary leadership of Mayor Bill McNichols and State Senator Joe Shoemaker led to the creation of the Platte River Development Committee, and ultimately to the formation of The Greenway Foundation in 1976. From the outset, our mission was clear: to revitalize, restore, and reclaim the South Platte River, turning it into a place where nature, recreation, and community could thrive. In those early days, we dreamed of a future where the river would no longer be a forgotten, polluted waterway but a thriving amenity for all to enjoy. That dream has become reality, thanks to the dedication of countless individuals, organizations, and partners who have worked with us over the decades.
The opening of Confluence Park in 1975 was just the beginning, setting the stage for the creation of the South Platte River Greenway—nearly 100 miles of connected trails that have become a cornerstone of Denver’s environmental and recreational landscape. Along the way, we’ve completed important projects like Globeville Landing Park, which reclaimed land once home to a former landfill, and developed countless parks, bike paths, and recreational spaces that have connected the river with Denver’s communities. We’ve witnessed the development of residential, commercial, and sports and entertainment venues that have transformed our riverfront into a hub of activity and vibrancy.
Through partnerships with Denver Public Schools, we launched SPREE (South Platte River Environmental Education), which has educated thousands of students annually on the importance of environmental stewardship. And through our master planning efforts, including the River North and River South Greenway Master Plans, we’ve charted a course for future growth, ensuring the river continues to provide ecological, cultural, and economic value for generations to come. Whether through our work on the Cherry Creek South Greenway, the Chatfield Reservoir Environmental Pool, or our ongoing advocacy for sustainable flood control and ecosystem restoration projects, we have been committed to making the river a safe, accessible place for recreation, education, and community engagement.
As we look forward to the next 50 years, we see even greater opportunities ahead. The continued development of our greenways, the completion of new restoration projects, and the expansion of environmental education programs will ensure that future generations can enjoy the South Platte River in ways we can only imagine today. We remain committed to advocating for a cleaner, safer, and more accessible river for all who live, work, and play in Denver. Together, we will continue to create a river that is a source of pride, a place of beauty, and a testament to what can be accomplished when a community comes together in support of something greater than itself.
Thank you for your continued support of The Greenway Foundation and for being a part of this incredible journey. We are excited for what the next 50 years will bring and look forward to sharing this vision with you all.
Kip Stastny
Board Chairman
Ryan Aids
Executive Director
The Greenway Team
It takes a village (and then some) to steward the river—but day-to-day, it takes the hard work of a small but mighty team. Meet the talented and passionate people of The Greenway Foundation.
Creating extraordinary experiences for all kids
Since 1982, The Greenway Foundation has introduced tens of thousands of children to the South Platte River through its SPREE program. SPREE aims to develop a positive relationship between the South Platte River and Denver area youth through school excursions, day camps, weekend events, internships, and summer employment.
Educating students through SPREE
Look at all we’ve accomplished in 2024.
Excursions
Our SPREE excursions took place in six different parks along the river! These field trips provide invaluable hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for Denver students. Researchers have found a number of trends demonstrating the positive impact environmental education has on learning, motivation, skill-building, and empowerment.
SPREE’s field trip program served nearly 4,000 children in 2024, from many different backgrounds. 100% of these students receive subsidized pricing to ensure cost is never a barrier to this place-based learning.
“I’ve been signing up for field trips at all the different schools I’ve worked at. My daughter who is 27 and I still remember what we learned on her SPREE field trip, and that was a long time ago!” – Teacher on a SPREE trip, Fall 2024
Camps
When Denver Public Schools are out… SPREE is in! SPREE Camps were in full swing in 2024. We served over 220 campers by the river in Johnson Habitat park over 6 weeks of summer camp and 5 days of school break camp. With unique themes like Crazy Cool Critters, Colorado’s Native Nature, and Micros & Macros there was no shortage of fun while learning about the environment and campers were sure to have a blast completing missions from our beaver boss, Chompers.
“Just so you know, SPREE is actually the best camp” – new SPREE camper, summer 2024
River Rangers
To start off the year, SPREE hired 6 River Ranger Interns from Kipp Denver Collegiate High School to teach at our in-person field trips! Over the summer, we hired 3 high school River Rangers to teach full time at our summer camp! All 3 high school River Rangers submitted their Environmental Educator portfolios through The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education! TGF also awarded four $1,000 Joe Shoemaker Memorial scholarships to past Summer River Rangers to help with college tuition!
Greenway Leadership Corps
GLC had over 90 high school students from the Denver Metro Area participate in stewardship and outdoor adventures with GLC in 2024! Some of our favorite experiences included trail building & exploring at The Nature Conservancy’s Phantom Canyon Preserve, Learning about Colorado History at Lincoln Hills Cares, and Snowshoeing with DPR.
Family Events
SPREE led and participated in 15 community family events this year, seeing over 1,100 community members of all ages. These events were free, and all encouraged families to get outside and create connections with nature, whether it be through an arts and crafts project, going fishing, or cleaning up a local park.
SPREE in the Community
SPREE consistently showed up for our community in 2024. With a particular focus on historically marginalized-Denver communities, SPREE participated in events like Trunk or Treat in the Westwood neighborhood and Cole Family Nature Club meetings. We held our annual Family Camp Out in Johnson Habitat Park, where we made dinner – and s’mores – over the fire, and taught families how to set up tents before sleeping under the stars. The Family Cook Out was just as successful, with games and crafts and critter crawl – and of course more s’mores!
Stewardship
Taking care of the watershed that takes care of us is not only rewarding, it’s necessary to our future. There are so many ways to be good stewards. Whether you volunteer time, share your knowledge, donate resources, or all of the above—the good news is that every effort counts. Take a look at some of our stewardship projects from 2024.
Volunteering
TGF hosts two large Stewardship Days- one in the spring and one in the fall- plus numerous smaller volunteer events each year! During these programs, hundreds of volunteers work in riverside projects to collect trash, spread mulch, protect park fixtures, and more! This year, volunteers and staff spent more than 1,145 hours protecting and cleaning our riverside parks!
Celebrate the South Platte River
The river is for everyone! From galas and festivals to family fishing and stewardship opportunities. Gather with The Greenway Foundation and enjoy all your river has to offer.
CROSSCURRENTS
TGF had another extremely successful CROSSCURRENTS welcoming over 8,000 attendees to Confluence Park for a day of rafting, tubing, live music, SPREE activities and so much more. What better way to beat the heat on one of this summer’s hottest days than spending the day at the river! CROSSCURRENTS will return to Confluence Park on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Gala on The Bridge
2024 brought another sold out Gala on the Bridge! Over 500 attendees enjoyed a night of amazing food from the restaurants of Chef Dana Rodriguez, an opportunity to enjoy being on the river with other generous supporters of The Greenway Foundation’s work, and the return of silent disco. This event remains TGF’s largest fundraiser of the year and we look to continue that success in 2025.
Reception on the River
The 2024 Reception on the River was the most successful to date! This outdoor event brings together key partners from across our watershed to celebrate all things water! Over 300 attendees gathered along the South Platte River to network, collaborate, and celebrate.
Barb Biggs Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Greenway Foundation is proud to announce the Barb Biggs Memorial Scholarship Fund. Barbara Biggs lived up to her name – she was bigger than life! Her passing was sudden and left a huge hole in the water community. The Barb Biggs Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide financial assistance to students working in or pursuing a career in Colorado’s water industry.
Through the Barb Biggs Memorial Scholarship Fund, Barb’s legacy will live on while empowering others to leave their mark on Colorado’s water community as she did. We are currently seeking donations for this scholarship fund. Once the fundraising goal has been met, details about how to apply will be available on TGF’s website.
Revitalization Projects
The Greenway Foundation is honored to be engaged in several revitalization projects, all of which have four benefits- environmental, recreational, water quality, and flood control.
The Waterway Resiliency Program brings $350 million of federal funding to the City and County of Denver. This, along with local match funding, creates the single largest financial commitment to the South Platte River ever! This project aims not only to restore the South Platte River, Weir Gulch, and Harvard Gulch but to revolutionize these waterways for future generations to enjoy while providing critical habitat and flood protection.
Our Supporters
Thank you so much to our generous sponsors and grant providers.
We couldn’t do what we do without their incredible support and we’re honored to serve our local community and environment with the help of these dedicated entities and individuals.
Individual Donors
Emily A Grant
Thomas Abbott
Grant Adams
Liz Adams
Ernie & Rachel Aids
Ryan Aids
Brenda Aids
Ashlie Aids
Eric Anderson
Brent Applebaum
Alice and Marc Applebaum
Wendy Arkesteijn
Dan Aschkinasi
Christy Atkinson
Lindsey Ayers
Denelle Ayers
Madeleine Balchan
Kimberly Ball
Carrie Baron
Wayne Barrett
Gail Barry
Megan Beal
Amy Beatie
Ferd Belz
Anne Bensard
Daniel Berger
Meredith Berlin
Amy Berlin
William Bianco
Susan Bjugstad
Autumn Bjugstad
Councilwoman Kendra Black
Andrea Bobotis
Stacey Borstad
Kate Brenan
Jon Bridges
Ryan Brown
Erin Buckner
Collin Burgess
Lauren Burgess
Caleigh Burgess
Anna Cafaro
Barbara Cain
Cesar Calvo
Eleanor Canter
Jordan Capeloto
Tony Cardinella
Lindsay Carpenter
James Carr
Leah Carroll
Bar Chadwick
Nancy Chalifour
Kate Cihon
Joe Clark
Jennifer Clark
Emily Clark
Steve Cohen
Rebecca Colbert
Jennifer Cole
Angela Coleman
Debra Colias
Amy Conklin
Nick Crepas
Gina Cristiano
Matt Croshal
Jade Cue
Tony Curcio
Joyzelle Davis
Chrissy Deal
Jeremy Deischer
Helena DeMarie
Allie DiCrosta
Karen Dixon
Chris Dodson
Sarah Dominick
Mary Donachy
Kyle Donovan
Beth Dorsa
Paul Dorsa
Jill Edman
Jerrika Eisenbarth
Marcia Eldridge
Michael Ellison
Lawrence Elrod
Michelle Elsasser
Stacey Eriksen
Jacob Escue
Jack Fahres
margie feinberg
Sharon Feldman
Beth Ferguson
Victoria Fernandes
Beth Fischer
Simon Foot
Melissa Ford
Colorado Gives Foundation
Joseph Fowler
Kristi Franko
Sigrid Freese
Joe Gagnon
Julianne Gagnon
Kim Gagnon
Anthea Gagnon
Richard Galaty
Declan Galvin
Sarah Gerson
Patrick Gillette
Kate Gillette
Rachel Gillette
Allison Gleichman
Jeffrey Grana
Julia Gray
Sasha Gubser
Jessica Guido
Katie Hale
Ryan Hall
Rebekka Harkins
Megan Harrington
Elizabeth Harty
Elisabeth Hawksbee
Terry Hayden
Laurie Helmick
Allie Hennessy
Kelly Heppe
Kelly Hersh
Dominic Hill
Fabby Hillyard
Robert Hodges
Andrew Hornbrook
Heather Houston
Brian Hunt
Ramsay Huntley
Jaquita Hurst
Mai-lan Huynh-Smith
Shelley Jewell
Sara Johnson
Emily Kachergis
Jonathan Kahn
Adrienne Kam
Cassie Kaslon
Rob Kaufmann
Andy Killinger
Molly Killinger
Kyla Killinger
Lexi Killinger
Mira Killmeyer
Oza Klanjsek
Jason Kleinhelter
Robert Kochevar
Julie Koehler
Julie Lancaster
R Kent Landmark
Kristin Lang
Jake Larson
Betsy Larson
Rowan Larson
Martin Lavine
Kate Law
Emily Law
Tom Legueri
Blair Lichtenfels
Katrina Liddicoat
Lauren Lipski
Coleen Little
Lester Lockspeiser
Gary Looper
Grace Lopez Ramirez
James Lovejoy
Larraine Lucero
Jessica Lybeck
Cat Lyons
Christina Mahoney
Donielle Markel
Andrea Martin
Michael Mcnulty
Marilyn Mead
Destiny Morales
John Moran
Jaime Moreno
Suzanne Morgan
Ruth Morris
Nathaniel Morrison
Holly Murtaugh
Sara Nakon
Joanna Negler
Brad Nicol
Roseann Niemeyer
Vanessa Notman
Amy Nupen
Katie Oakes
Elise Osenga
Sara Overby
Bob and Susie Owen
Enlin Pan
Jentien Pan
Sarah Pardikes
Stacy Passmore
Rob Pell
Lindsey Perry
John Pflaum
Brooke Pike
Catherine Poirier
Rajni Posner
Megan Post
Susan Powers
Tara Puccio
Aaron Ray
Judi Recht
Barry Reed
Heather Rinehart
Lexí Roberts
Carly Rohs
Jeff Rollins
Lesley Roper
Geoff Roth
Frank Rowe
Curtis & Ruth Rueter
Ana Ruiz
Phil Russell
Erika Sabatos
Matthew Safran
Paula Sandoval
Ellen Sartin
Gregg Saunders
Peter Schaefer
Stacy Schmidt
Calvin Schutt
Laura Seitz
Mimi Shim
Jeff Shoemaker
DJ Simoneau
Eliza Slayman
Pam Smith
Brandon Smith
Tracy L Smith
Jaren Smith
Lauren Snee
Emily Spickler
Kip Stastny
Tiana Stastny
Gary Stiefler
Cyndi Stovall
Steve Stretz
Samantha Sturgis
Kris Sun
Grant Swanson
Michelle Taracido
Sabrina Taylor
James Theye
Andrew Thomas
David Thorpe
Jack Tone
Kathleen Travis
Alvina Vasquez
Isabel Vera
Mirna Villa
Peter Wall
Kristin Webster
Tanya Weinberg
Bradley Weinig
Eric Weisman
Jennifer Wentworth
Pete West
Jennifer Williams
Mike Winn
donna witonsky
Seth Witonsky
Alexandra Witonsky
Alex and Brenna Wood
Natalie Wood
Alexis Woodrow
Nicole Woods
Ben Woolf
Moneka Worah
Julie Yang
Kim Yuan-Farrell
Kathryn Zahra
Brandon Zelasko
Achieve Retirement
Allen Vellone Wolf Helfrich & Factor P.C.
Alpine Bank
Amacon
Ames Construction
Anglers All
Apex Plumbing, Inc
Arbor Force
Asana Partners
Auraria Higher Education Center
Aurora Water
AvalonBay Communities
Baird Foundation
Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund
Be The Neighbor
Belay Development
Birch Ecology
Birdcall
BPX Energy Inc.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Calibre Engineering
Capitol Representatives
Carollo Engineering
Catamount Constructors
CEI Constructors
Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
CFC Construction
Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company, Inc.
Chatfield Watershed Authority
Cherry Creek North
Collegiate Peaks Bank
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
Colorado Wastewater Utility Council
CoStar
Crescent Real Estate
CSU Spur
CU Denver
Daniels & Scriven, P.C.
DaVita
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Denver Trout Unlimited
Denver Water
Dig Studio
Dominion Water & Sanitation District
Dominion Water and Sanitation District
East West Partners
ECI Site Construction Management, Inc
Edmund T & Eleanor Quick Foundation
ERO Resources Corporation
E-Squared Communications Group Inc
ET Environmental Corp
EXDO Group
Fantastic Frank
Fi
Fidelity National Title Insurance Company
FirstBank
Flatiron Construction
Flora Rino
Forgen
Fortis Bank
Garden Club of Denver
GE Johnson Construction Company
GEI Consultants
Goldfish Swim School
Griffis Group Residential, LLC
Hazen & Sawyer
HDR, Inc.
Hiratsuka & Associates
Hirsch & Gibney, Inc.
HNTB
Hogan Omidi PC
IMA Financial
Independent Financial
Iron Woman Construction
JLL Capital Markets
Johnson Law Group
JuneShine
JV Denargo LLC
KIEWIT INFRASTRUCTURE CO.
Kroenke Sports Holdings
Livable Cities Studio
Lockton
Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers
Mary Norris Preyer Fund
Matrix Design Group
McCarthy Holdings, Inc.
McGeady Becher, P.C.
Merrick
Metro Water Recovery
Mile High Flood District
Milender White LLC
Molson Coors
Moran & Long, LLC
MSU Denver
Muller Engineering
My Brothers Bar
Nicole Jarman
NINE dot ARTS
Ninyo & Moore
Northmarq
Olsson
Olsson Foundation
Otak
Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti PC
Oz Architecture, Inc.
Pacifico
Parkwell LLC
Perkins & Will
Pinyon Environmental
Pioneer Ventures
Points West Design Works
Ramble Hotel
Ramboll
Revvity Foundation
Richardson Agency
River Collective Co.
River Mile Foundation
Riverbank Commercial Real Estate LLC
Riverfront Park Community Foundation
Riverside
Roxborough Water & Sanitation District
Sasaki Associates Inc.
Saunders Construction Inc
Schlessman Family Foundation
SEMA Construction
Semple Brown
Shaw Construction
Shears Adkins Rockmore
Shopworks Architecture
SideCar PR
Slalom Consulting
South Platte Renew
Stantec
Stream Landscape Architecture and Planning
Summit Street Group
Target Circle Program
The Beacon Fund
The Jolon Clark Fund
The MacMeier Foundation
The Thomas Edwin Greenbaum Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Wells Partnership
The Wilson Sexton Foundation
Tryba Architects
Turner Construction
University of Colorado at Denver
Urban Ventures
Vail Resorts EpicPromise
Valerian
Virginia W. Hill Foundation
Wenk Associates, Inc.
Whiting-Turner
Wilson & Company Engineers & Architects
Woods Boss Brewing Company
WSP
Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy Foundation
zBlock Association
ZGF Architects LLP