River Rally/Safety Fair next Friday

Every spring local residents of all ages come together in downtown Whitehall for the annual Jefferson River Rally/Health and Safety Fair.

This year's event is scheduled to take place Friday, May 17 at 11 N. Division St. from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sponsors in 2019 are the Golden Sunlight Mine, the Community Transition Advisory Committee, and the Jefferson River Watershed Council.

Aubrie Boline of the JLDC/MSU Extension said they will have a variety of informative booths including Fish, Wildlife, and Parks with water safety; TOPS #MT with weight loss and nutrition information; the cancer screening program out of Helena; and more. She added some classics that will be returning include the Jefferson Valley Fire Department with the smoke house and the fish dissection station.

New booths in 2019 include Kaleena Miller from the MSU Extension who will have presentations on pesticides and chemical safety. Boline added the Jefferson County Weed Department has completely redone their education trailer.

Vendors at the 2019 event include the Mule Deer Foundation, NorthWestern Energy, Montana Operation Lifesaver, and the Jefferson River Watershed Council

Boline said from vendors to volunteers to attendees, the community of Whitehall provides overwhelming support for the Health and Safety Fair/River Rally every year, adding it is inspiring to watch multiple generations learn new things and interact with each other as they enjoy this community event.

"The Safety Fair is also an excellent opportunity for the public to learn about emergency services, such as the volunteer fire department, which can always be counted on to save the day in the event that something unexpected goes wrong. The Safety Fair would not be possible without the generous support from Golden Sunlight Mine, the Jefferson County Weed Department, the Jefferson River Watershed Council, and the Community Transition Advisory Committee. These four groups all contribute to make this event a success every year, and their dedication to the community of Whitehall is humbling," she said.