The Mississippi River is a big part of what defines Saint Paul. For our organization, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE), protecting the local waterway and its surrounding areas is equally important to us. On a clear, September 22 afternoon, 20 employee volunteers from our organization removed 700 pounds of debris, including discarded items such as tires, a toilet, and a muffler, from the banks of the Mississippi River in support of the Adopt-A-River program.
The Adopt-A-River program, established in 1989 by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, has been educating Minnesotans about caring for and cleaning up rivers and watersheds. Supporting this program has made great sense for our organization for many reasons. Preserving this natural resource is in direct alignment to our organization’s commitment to sustainability and our local community.
The venues that we manage (Xcel Energy Center and Saint Paul RiverCentre) look out to the riverbanks of the Mississippi, and these Minnesota water ways also service as some of the first rinks that young hockey players learn to skate. We are proud of the impact our employees have made on this critical waterway. Since 2015, we have removed over 10,000 pounds of debris from the banks of the Mississippi River.