One week from tonight- what will you be doing?  I hope you answered, “Celebrating the amazing accomplishments of Lee Russell at the 2008 Bill Russell River Hero Award.” 

No, that wasn’t your response? 

Well, that can easily be changed.  Seriously, it is going to be a great night for a great woman.  The award ceremony is set for next Thursday, October 2, at the Foundry at World’s Fair Park, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  Tickets are $50 per person and there will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.  Best of all, we get to spend the evening honoring an incredible conservationist that embodies the spirit of the River Hero Award.  Tickets are available online and by calling 522-7007 ext. 102.

About Liane:
For more than 40 years, Dr. Liane Russell has been working to preserve and protect Tennessee’s rivers and parks.  Lee and her husband Bill (for whom the River Hero Award is named) organized Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and were instrumental in protecting the Obed River and the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.  Lee played a lead role in the drafting and passage of the State Scenic Rivers Act, which is the first such act in the United States.

Through her work more than 150,000 acres of land and more than 120 miles of river are permanently protected from adverse development in the Cumberlands.  Because of her efforts against strip-mining, many of Tennessee’s rivers are spared siltation and acid mine drainage.  Throughout Tennessee and in her hometown, her work has helped protect lands and water to make them available for generations to come.

I look forward to seeing you there!

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.