River Reminiscent: 2017

In 2017, Friends of the Chicago River instituted The Big Jump with then Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita (Cook County Board Commissioner, District 13) to promote public understanding of how vastly river water quality has improved and that the barriers to swimming are more cultural that physical.

The event was the first of a series of in-the-water events including the Summer Float Party which complement Friends’ efforts to influence how policy makers view swimming and ongoing water quality advocacy. This year, Friends is supporting the Chicago River Swim and has joined the international coalition for Swimmable Cities which is hosting its inaugural summit in Rotterdam in June.

Big Jump jumpers represented federal, state and local elected officials and public agency partners including U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-2), U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-5), Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Commissioner Morita, former EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore and Friends’ executive director Margaret Frisbie.