St. James Winery Supports Missouri River Relief

St. James Winery is helping clean up the Missouri River by funding Missouri River Relief, a non-profit organization dedicated to river clean up. For each bottle of St. James Winery wines purchased at participating Missouri retail stores during August and September, St. James Winery will contribute to Missouri River Relief’s work.

“By the time the Missouri River joins the Mississippi in St. Louis, some of the water has traveled more than 2,300 miles and, unfortunately, it picked up garbage along the way,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “St. James Winery supports clean-up efforts that make the river a better place for wildlife, outdoor enthusiasts, and farmers.”

“It’s incredible that last year Missouri River Relief organized 1,365 volunteers to remove 42 tons of trash, including 364 tires, from 79 miles of the Missouri River. When you’re pulling that much trash out of the river, you need a lot of boats, gloves, and trash bags,” said Hofherr. “Last year we funded Missouri River Relief for the first time, and in doing so we raised awareness along with a significant amount of money. St. James Winery is also a co-sponsor of the Race to the Dome, the canoe and kayak race on the Missouri River from Hartsburg to Jefferson City which benefits Missouri River Relief.”

“There’s no substitute for getting people out on the river in boats, getting their hands dirty and pulling a massive pile of trash out of the river,” said MRR Program Manager Steve Schnarr. “Since our organization began in 2001, we’ve done 104 clean-ups, with 17,906 volunteers, over 863 miles of river, and removed 718 tons of trash. Plus we sort through the trash and recycle what we can, so there’s no doubt the Missouri River region benefits from our clean-up efforts.”

Becoming part of St. James Winery’s efforts to support Missouri River clean-up efforts is as simple as purchasing a bottle of St. James Winery wines at any participating retail store in Missouri during the months of August and September. St. James Winery will donate a portion of the proceeds to Missouri River Relief. Funding will help remove an estimated 10 tons of trash, including 100 tires, from the Missouri River, and money raised in the Springfield area will go toward the James River Basin Partnership which works to keep waterways in the southwestern part of the state clean.

About St. James Winery
St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrates more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery’s award-winning wines are sold in stores throughout the Midwest and the South. St. James Winery is online at www.stjameswinery.com.

About Missouri River Relief
Missouri River Relief is a grassroots volunteer and equipment-based non-profit dedicated to connecting communities to the Missouri River through hands-on, on-the-river clean-ups and river education. Since their first Missouri River clean-up in 2001, 104 clean-ups, with 17,906 volunteers, over 863 miles of river, and removed 718 tons of trash (over one million pounds!) from the river and its banks in 22 communities. Find Missouri River Relief online at www.riverrelief.org.

About the James River Basin Partnership
The James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization working to improve and protect the water quality of the springs, streams, rivers, and lakes in the James River Watershed which consists of almost a million acres of land in portions of 7 counties in southwest Missouri. Find JRBP online at www.jamesriverbasin.com.