Wyoming County Commissioners (top, seated, from left) Tom Henry, Rick Wilbur, and Ernie King receive a check for $500 from Endless Mountains Heritage Region executive director Cain Chamberlin. The funds, which will go towards ongoing improvements at Wyoming County Seneca Park, were raised through the EMHR’s Summer Heritage Benefit Paddle held in July. Chamberlin also presented a $500 check to Bradford County Conservation District director Cathy Yeakel (above, left) and BCCD education coordinator Dan Rhodes. The funds, which will go towards educational programming, were raised through the EMHR’s Fall Heritage Benefit Paddle held in October.
The Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) held two benefit paddles in 2024 and recently presented checks to benefactors. The Summer Heritage Benefit Paddle from Riverside Park in Tunkhannock to Falls Township in Wyoming County was held on July 13, and the Fall Heritage Benefit Paddle covered a stretch of the Susquehanna River from the Bradford County Outboard Motor Club in Durrell to Sugar Run in Bradford County on Oct. 5. The paddles were conducted by Susquehanna Kayak and Canoe Rentals and Endless Mountains Outfitters, respectively.
Proceeds from the two events allowed the EMHR to give $500 each to the Wyoming County Parks Committee and the Bradford County Conservation District (BCCD). According to the Wyoming County commissioners, the donation will be used for ongoing improvements of Wyoming County Seneca Park (formerly Roadside Rest) on Route 29, south of Tunkhannock. BCCD district manager Cathy Yeakel said that the funds will be used for the BCCD’s annual Earth Day celebration in Wysox and other educational programming.
“Both groups were thankful for the donations, and we at the EMHR are grateful that participation in these types of recreational events continues to grow and help us forward our mission through like-minded organizations,” said EMHR executive director Cain Chamberlin.
Dates for next year’s paddles have already been confirmed. The Summer Heritage Benefit Paddle will be held on July 12, 2025, with funds earmarked for the Countryside Conservancy. The Fall Heritage Benefit Paddle is slated for Oct. 4, 2025, with the beneficiary yet to be confirmed. An additional paddle will be scheduled in June that will benefit the Susquehanna County Conservation District.
For more information about recreational opportunities and other EMHR initiatives in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties, interested readers can log on to EMHeritage.org.