What a bicycle, a toilet and 16 tires have in common – all dumped in the Cuyahoga River

Float the River usually involves a relaxing tube and kayak ride down the Cuyahoga River as it lazily snakes its way through Munroe Falls.

On Aug. 7, however, approximately 80 volunteers did more than just enjoy a few hours of rest and relaxation as they coasted down the river: They did their part to clean it up. And what they found ranged anywhere from startling to perplexing — and downright disgusting.

Float the River, a seasonal business owned by TJ and Savannah Mack, and the City of Munroe Falls sponsored a river cleanup that offered participants free kayaking and tubing trips down the Cuyahoga River in exchange for pulling debris and trash out of the water along the way.

Armed with bags, rubber gloves and trash pickers, volunteers spent the next three hours clearing the river of garbage while the Macks followed behind in a small boat looking for larger items to haul out of the water. By the end of the trip, the Macks had filled their boat with an eclectic — and disturbing — mix of debris, including a bicycle, a safe, 16 tires, numerous other large items, garbage bags full of trash, and even a toilet.

The Macks also educated the volunteers on the importance of keeping waterways clean from not just trash but also harmful contaminants like fertilizers and dog waste.

Munroe Falls Mayor Allen Mavrides said he would like to see the river cleanup become an annual occurrence.

“The event was a success, and I want to thank all who participated. I also want to thank TJ and Savannah Mack with Float the River for sponsoring the event,” he said. “Not only did they help raise awareness on the importance of keeping our river clean, but they actually did something about it.”