Welcome to the
2025 Greenway Current
Check out our digital year in review to see the impact and growth The Greenway Foundation (TGF) achieved in 2025! From hands-on river projects to environmental education and community celebrations, this year was full of progress and purpose.
Our Proudest Moments from 2025
Revitalizing Weir Gulch
The Waterway Resiliency Program (WATR) construction began on the Weir Gulch portion of the project. Once completed, hundreds of homes will no longer be in the flood plain.
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,
As we reflect on another great year at The Greenway Foundation, I am filled with gratitude for the immense progress we’ve made together in 2025. Every accomplishment – from activating and stewarding our riverside spaces to inspiring and teaching the next generation of environmental advocates – was made possible by your trust, support, and generosity.
This year, The Greenway Foundation continued its mission of enhancing and protecting Denver’s waterways through community engagement, education, and stewardship with many highlights along the way. Our work continues to be rooted in the belief that the South Platte River should be cleaner, safer, and more accessible for all, and 2025 exemplified that vision.
Throughout the year, our community came together in service of the river. Nearly 1,700 volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours caring for riverside parks, green spaces, and the river. Through expanded stewardship opportunities, private groups and corporate teams helped remove over 18,000 gallons of trash, mulch trees, and improve the overall health of our river corridor.
Our South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) program continues to be a cornerstone of our work. In 2025, more than 4,000 students engaged in river-focused camps, excursions, and events, deepening their connection to nature and building lifelong stewardship values. These experiences are shaping a generation that sees our river as both a classroom and a cause worth protecting.
Our annual CROSSCURRENTS festival welcomed over 15,000 people to Confluence Park for rafting, tubing, live music, SPREE activities, and more – a new record attendance! Events like these bring our community together in celebration of our work.
Construction began on the Weir Gulch portion of the Waterway Resiliency (WATR) Program, a major river revitalization initiative that will remove hundreds of homes from the flood plain and model resilient waterway design for decades to come.
As we build on this momentum, we are committed to advancing equitable access to nature, strengthening community engagement, and continuing transformative river projects. Our vision of a river that is a source of pride, environmental vitality, and community health is closer than ever – yet our work is not done.
Thank you for your passion, partnership, and belief in the power of community to protect and celebrate our shared waterways. We look forward to the future we will create together!
With deep gratitude,
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
For over 40 years, The Greenway Foundation has introduced tens of thousands of children to the South Platte River through its SPREE program. SPREE fosters 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 2025.
Excursions (Field Trips)
SPREE Excursions continued to be a hit after over 40 years of working with Denver students on field trips! Taking place in 15 locations along Denver’s waterways, 95% of students reported having an increased connection to nature after their SPREE Excursion! SPREE excursions provide invaluable hands-on and outdoor programming for students to get out of classrooms, off of screens, and into nature! SPREE’s field trip program served nearly 4,000 in 2025, from many different backgrounds.100% of these students receive subsidized pricing to ensure cost is never a barrier to this place-based learning.
“This field trip is wonderful! The activities are really great and I love the way you keep the kids’ attention. It’s so cool to learn alongside the kids!”
-Chaperone, Lourdes Classical
“I’m so excited we get to go to the river! I’ve always wanted to go to the river!”
-4th Grade Student, Hallett
Camps
The learning and fun were flowing all summer long at SPREE summer camps! Over 200 Denver kids joined us for 6 weeks of programming along the South Platte River where we did hands-on learning, made crafts, played games, caught crawdads in the South Platte River, and delved into learning about Colorado nature! Themes this year included: BioBlitz, Special Agent Training, and Art Inspired by Nature!
“This is my favorite camp out of all the camps that I’ve ever been to in my whole life.”
– Summer Camper
“This is his favorite camp! He waits all year to come to SPREE each summer.”
– Summer Camp Parent
“I’m struggling today with my daughter complaining about why I couldn’t have signed her up for SPREE camp all summer. Thanks again for being so great.”
– Summer Camp Parent
“I work in the environmental field so I was excited to find a camp like this for my kids…macroinvertebrates are not usually top of the list of things 🙂 ”
– Summer Camp Parent
River Rangers
The River Ranger program helps high schoolers develop leadership, strong communication, and critical thinking skills that will serve as powerful tools for the future. To start off the year, we hired 7 River Ranger Interns from Kipp Denver Collegiate High School to teach at SPREE’s kindergarten school-year field trips. Over the summer, 3 high school River Rangers were hired to teach full-time at our summer camp. All 3 high school River Rangers submitted their Environmental Educator portfolios through Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education to become certified apprentice environmental educators. TGF also awarded eight Joe Shoemaker Memorial scholarships to past and current Summer River Rangers to help with their college tuition and expenses. 8 high schoolers were hired for the 2025-2026 school-year River Ranger internship in the fall, and will begin training in early 2026.
“…hearing me talk about how great the experience was and all the amazing connections I made with everybody that I met, not only the kids, the campers, but also the adults that helped me through my year, made [my friends] want to join.“
– Summer River Ranger, 2025
“If I get to tell someone, I would tell them to absolutely join… I never expected how fun it would be. I enjoyed every moment that I got to teach the kids. I really enjoyed all the people I met. I enjoyed all the GLC events that I ended up going [on], cause all of that whole experience was life changing.”
– Summer River Ranger, 2025
Greenway Leadership Corps (GLC)
GLC expands access for local youth to experience the outdoors and explore environmental careers.Now in its 12th year, GLC continues to empower the next generation of environmental leaders to connect with – and care for – the natural world. In 2025, three GLC Advisors were hired to help plan programs and recruit fellow high school students to participate in GLC events and explore Colorado’s natural spaces in new ways. More than 80 high school students from across the Denver Metro area took part in stewardship projects and outdoor adventures throughout the year. Highlights included trail building and exploration at The Nature Conservancy’s Phantom Canyon Preserve, kayaking with Denver Parks & Recreation, archery at Barr Lake State Park, and a festive day of pumpkin carving along the river.
“It was really great being able to learn all of that because nowadays we don’t really get to go outside and stuff, and being able to get that experience and being able to learn new things that you might use when you grow up, it’s really great.”
– GLC participant, 2025
“It’s pretty, I would say life changing, cause now I wanna go kayaking, now I wanna shoot an arrow, now I wanna do all these things, and I have the option to choose.“
– GLC participant, 2025
Family Events
SPREE led and participated in 14 community family events this year, seeing over 1,000 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 arts and crafts projects, learning about native animals in their habitats, fishing at a local pond, or doing service projects in a park.
SPREE in the Community
SPREE consistently showed up for our community in 2025. With a particular focus on historically marginalized-Denver communities, SPREE participated in events like Outdoor Movie Night in the Cole Neighborhood and the Ruby Hill Community Carnival & Resource Fair. 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 CookOut 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 vital. Whether you volunteer time, share your knowledge, donate resources, or all of the above, every effort counts. Take a look at our growing stewardship programs from 2025.
Volunteering
This year, volunteers and staff dedicated more than 1,955 hours to protecting and restoring our riverside parks. TGF hosts two signature Stewardship Days each year – one in the spring and one in the fall – along with numerous smaller volunteer events. Through these programs, hundreds of volunteers contribute to riverside projects such as trash removal, mulching, protecting park fixtures, and other essential maintenance efforts.
Private Trash Pickups
In 2025, The Greenway Foundation expanded its stewardship program by formalizing opportunities for private groups to participate in hands-on restoration and cleanup events along the South Platte River. These experiences provide corporate teams, community organizations, and local groups with a meaningful way to contribute to the health of Denver’s waterways while fostering teamwork and community connection.
Throughout the year, TGF hosted 17 corporate stewardship events, engaging 428 volunteers who collectively removed 6,853 gallons of trash and completed habitat enhancement projects, including tree mulching and crusher fine spreading. This expansion not only strengthened community engagement but also delivered measurable improvements to the river corridor’s health and accessibility.
Young Professionals Trash Pick Up
TGF hosted five Young Professionals trash pick ups in 2025. This popular new program offers new professionals the opportunity to meet new people while having a tangible impact on our local environment. Over the five events, 117 dedicated volunteers came together to give back, network, and enjoy some well-deserved snacks – all in the name of protecting our beloved South Platte River. Over 1,245 gallons of trash were removed directly from the river and its banks during these cleanups. Afterwards, everyone enjoys some pizza and beverages while getting to know the other people who came out.
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 hosted the most successful CROSSCURRENTS to date, welcoming over 15,000 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 11, 2026.
Gala on The Bridge
2025’s Gala on the Bridge took place in a brand new location this year. Nearly 500 attendees enjoyed a night of amazing food from Occasions Catering and Chef Paul C. Reilly’s restaurant, Coperta, while dancing the night away under the stars in Commons Park. This event provides a unique opportunity to enjoy being on the river with other generous supporters of The Greenway Foundation’s work.
Reception on the River
Mile High Flood District’s Reception on the River proved again why it remains Denver’s premier networking event for our waterways. This signature outdoor event brought together more than 300 partners and supporters from all along the South Platte River. It is an amazing evening specifically designed to have leaders in the water community connect and collaborate about the importance of water in our region.
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 provides financial assistance to students working in or pursuing a career in Colorado’s water industry. The scholarship fund is now being administered by MSU Denver but donations to the fund can still be made here.
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. Details about how to apply can be found here.
Waterway Resiliency Program (WATR)
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. Construction along Weir Gulch began in October of 2025. Once the Weir Gulch section is completed, several hundred homes will no longer be located in the flood plain. Design for the South Platte River portion of the project has begun but no construction date has been announced. TGF continues to work with the City and County of Denver to move this project forward in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers.
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
Liz Adams
Ashlie Aids
Brenda Aids
Ryan Aids
Alpine Bank
Amacon
Evan Anderson
Julie Anderson
Nathan Anderson
AON
Anonymous Family Fund
Apex Plumbing, Inc
Alice Applebaum
Brent Applebaum
Applewood Plumbing, Heating & Electric
Arbor Force
Arc’teryx
Meghan Arthur
Asana Partners
Dan Aschkinasi
Tyler Atkinson
Aurora Water
Avalon Communications
Karen Aviles
Lindsey Ayers
Madeleine Balchan
Carrie Baron
Wayne Barrett
Gail Barry
Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund
Fran Baumgardner
Megan Beal
Amy Beatie
Ferd Belz
Anne Bensard
Lauren Berent Burgess
Daniel Berger
Amy Berlin
Meredith Berlin
Bernstein Philanthropic Impact Fund
Best Day Brewing
Autumn Bjugstad
Susan Bjugstad
Andrea Bobotis
Kenneth Boldt
Nick Bottinelli
Janice Bowland
The M. Christine Bowman Estate
BPX Energy Inc.
AJ Brekus
Kate Brenan
Jon Bridges
Craig Broek
Megan Brown
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Builders Firstsource
Tamara Bujakowski
Caleigh Burgess
Anna Cafaro
Calibre Engineering
Melissa Cantu
Carollo Engineering
James Carr
Leah Carroll
Catamount Constructors
Tom & Grace Cech
CEI Constructors
Centennial Water & Sanitation District
Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
Bar Chadwick
Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company, Inc.
Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District
Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Bao Chongtoua
Kate Cihon
City and County of Denver
City of Aurora
Civic Vision
Emily Clark
Joe Clark
Steve Cohen
Rebecca Colbert
Jennifer Cole
Debra Colias
Collegiate Peaks Bank
Colorado Gives Foundation
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
Colorado Wastewater Utility Council
Amy Conklin
Conscience Bay Company
CPW Partners in the Outdoors
Diane Crawford
Creating Healthier Communities (CHC)
Daisy Creech
Nick Crepas
Crescent Real Estate
Gina Cristiano
CSG
CSU Spur
CU Denver
Tony Curcio
Joyzelle Davis
Davis Graham
DaVita
Jeremy Deischer
Helena DeMarie
Denver Business Journal
Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure
Denver Parks and Recreation
Denver Trout Unlimited
Denver Water
Dig Studio
Digital Generalists
Andrew Dixon
Karen Dixon
Chris Dodson
Sarah Dominick
Dominion Water & Sanitation District
Mary Donachy
Beth Dorsa
DPR Construction
East West Partners
ECI Site Construction Management, Inc
Edmund T & Eleanor Quick Foundation
Marcia Eldridge
Lawrence Elrod
Michelle Elsasser
Epidemic Marketing
ERO Resources Corporation
Kelly Etter
Nathaniel Evans
Jack Fahres
Mark Faul
Beth Ferguson
FHS Risk
Fidelity National Title Insurance Company
FirstBank
Flatiron Dragados
Kathleen Fogler
Simon Foot
Joseph Fowler
Kristi Franko
Erica Fredregill
Sigrid Freese
Anthea Gagnon
Joe Gagnon
Julianne Gagnon
Kim Gagnon
Richard Galaty
Jocelyn Gallagher
Emily Gallivan
Garden Club of Denver
GEI Consultants
Kate Gillette
Patrick Gillette
Rachel Gillette
Allison Gleichman
Meredith Goertz
Scott Gould
Jeffrey Grana
Emily A Grant
Julia Gray
Griffis Group Residential, LLC
Groundfloor Media Foundation
Group14 Engineering, PBC
Sasha Gubser
Jessica Guido
Katie Hale
Ryan Hall
The HAPP Foundation
Bekky Harkins
Benjamin Harkins
Megan Harrington
Carolynne Harris
Elizabeth Harty
Elisabeth Hawksbee
Terry Hayden
Hazen & Sawyer
HDR, Inc.
Sarah Heckroth
David Heinze
Kelly Heppe
Kelly Hersh
Fabby Hillyard
Hiratsuka & Associates
HNTB
Erin Hoffman
Heather Houston
Brian Hunt
Ramsay Huntley
Jaquita Hurst
Mai-lan Huynh-Smith
IMA Financial
J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation
Shelley Jewell
JLL Capital Markets
Sara Johnson
Clayton Jones
Suzanna Jones
JuneShine
Emily Kachergis
Jonathan Kahn
Cassie Kaslon
Rob Kaufmann
Keith Kennard
Mira Killmeyer
Jason Kleinhelter
Bob Kochevar
Julie Koehler
Chad Krull
Evan Kurtis
Katie Kurtz
R Kent Landmark
Jake Larson
Elizabeth Lee
Tom Legueri
Lime
Lauren Lipski
Livable Cities Studio
Lester Lockspeiser
Lockton
Gary Looper
James Lovejoy
Ken Lykens
Morgan Lynch
Grace MacDonald
Travis Madsen
Christina Mahoney
Sean Maley
Jim Manire
Andrea Martin
Kynnie Martin
Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers
Matrix Design Group
McGeady Becher, P.C.
Michael Mcnulty
Menalto, LLC
Merrick
Metro Water Recovery
Mile High Flood District
MMR Group
Joyce Mobley
Joyce W Mobley
Elsbeth Mommaal
Destiny Morales
Moran & Long, LLC
Jaime Moreno
Jamie Paul Moreno
Ruth Elizabeth Morrison
Linda Morrison
Nathaniel Morrison
MSH & Associates
MSU Denver
Muller Engineering
Mark Myles
Joanna Negler
NexCore Group
Roseann Niemeyer
Northmarq
Vanessa Notman
Nuevo Amanecer, LLC
Olsson
Elise Osenga
Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti PC
OV Consulting
Sara Overby
Owl Creek Wealth Partners LLC
Oz Architecture, Inc.
Pacifico Preserves
Jentien Pan
Pando Holdings
Sarah Pardikes
Parkwell LLC
PCL Construction
Trent Peaker
Perkins & Will
Lindsey Perry
Martha Pflaum
Brooke Pike
Denise Pilz
Pinyon Environmental
Pioneer Ventures
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Points West Design Works, LLC
Rebecca Poore
Rajni Posner
Megan Post
Susan Powers
Christopher Price
Proficient Engineering, LLC
Purposeful Colorado LLC
Kaili Purviance
Ramboll
Shayne Ravin
Aaron Ray
Barry Reed
REI Cooperative Action Fund
Sue Reilly
Revesco USA Properties LLLP
Revvity Foundation
Richardson Agency
River Collective Co.
Riverfront Park Community Foundation
Luis Rivers
Gary Roffe
Crissy Rogers
Lesley Roper
Geoff Roth
Roxborough Water & Sanitation District
Curtis & Ruth Rueter
Phil Russell
Alicia Russo
Erika Sabatos
Paula Sandoval
Ellen Sartin
Sasaki Associates Inc.
Gregg Saunders
Saunders Construction Inc
Travis Sawade
Stacy Schmidt
Brandon Schmoele
Mark Schuck
Semple Brown
Rosemary Shanley
Shaw Construction
Shears Adkins Rockmore
Ann Sheflin
Jeffrey Shelton
Jeff Shoemaker
Jim Shoemaker
Shopworks Architecture
Shrewsberry
SideCar PR
Braden Sidoti
Sky Blue Builders
Eliza Slayman
Brandon Smith
Jaren Smith
Tracy L Smith
Lauren Snee
Garrison Snyder
South Platte Cure
South Platte Renew
South State Bank
Emily Spickler
Sploot
Brian Stafford
Linda Stanford
Kip Stastny
Tiana Stastny
Gary Stiefler
Cyndi Stovall
Stream Landscape Architecture and Planning
Steve Stretz
Samantha Sturgis
Grant Swanson
Michelle Taracido
Sabrina Taylor
The Colorado Parks Foundation
The Communications Network
The Jolon Clark Fund
The Nature Conservancy
The Thomas Edwin Greenbaum Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Turner Construction Company Foundation
The Wilson Sexton Foundation
Jim Theye
Andrew Thomas
Peter Thomas
David Thorpe
Brooklyn Tieszen
Shane Todd
Tryba Architects
Jenna Tully
Eric Tupler
Turner Construction
USI Insurance Services, LLC
Valerian
Valor Landscaping
Virginia W. Hill Foundation
Visit Denver
Carrie Wack
Colleen Walker
Todd Walker
Peter Wall
Kacie Warner
Katie Warren
Agnes Weaver
Kristin Wedemeyer
Thomas Weiler
Tanya Weinberg
Bradley Weinig
Wenk Associates, Inc.
Jennifer Wentworth
Pete West
Whiting-Turner
Ellen Wilensky
Jennifer Williams
Alexandra Witonsky
Mike and Etta Wood
Natalie Wood
Alexis Woodrow
Nicole Woods
Ben Woolf
Moneka Worah
Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy Foundation
Julie Yang
Kathryn Zahra
zBlock Association
ZGF Architects LLP