For the first time, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Brazos River float for Waco college students.
In an effort to connect students to the Waco community, free food, music, games and tubing will be available at 2 p.m. Saturday in Indian Spring Park at the Waco Suspension Bridge. A valid student ID is required to participate.
“We’re hoping to introduce students to the community in a fun, exciting way that everyone will want to participate in,” said Kris Collins, senior vice president of Economic Development for the Waco Chamber of Commerce. “We hope students will love Waco and the community can retain their talent after graduation.”
The second and final round of floaters will leave around 4 p.m. Students do not need to float to participate in the event, and the first 500 will receive a swag bag including a tank top and a waterproof bag.
Registration begins at 1:30 p.m., and the first wave of floaters will leave at 2 p.m. The Chamber estimates it will take students about two hours to float from start to finish. The Chamber of Commerce will provide floats and drinks along the water as personal coolers will not be allowed.
“We want to showcase that Waco is an attractive place to live and build a life after graduation,” Collins said. “A strong, educated work force is important to this community, so we want to encourage students to build a life in the greater Waco area upon graduation.”
Collins said she thinks the Brazos River is one of the greatest assets to the Waco community that is wildly under utilized, especially by college students.
“The Brazos is beautiful and Waco is beautiful,” Collins said. “There haven’t been many events to get people in the water, so we hope this does just that.”
In addition to parking near the Waco Convention Center, there will be a shuttle picking up and dropping off students in front of Penland Residence Hall. The Shuttle will run from 1:30-6:30 p.m.
For more information, students can go to brazosriverfloat.com.
