RAPID CITY, S.D. – June 9 marks the 52nd anniversary of the flash flood that devastated Rapid City in 1972, profoundly shaping Rapid City into what it is today.
This year, the non-profit organization Friends of the Rapid City Parks launched a new weekend-long event called “Greenway Days”. It aims to share stories, remember those who lost their lives and educate the younger generation about the flood’s impact.
“Greenway Days is an event [for] the mission of the Friends of the Rapid City Parks, [which] is to protect the floodplain, to not have development, to preserve the stories and the education and to celebrate this jewel icon of ten ways of Greenway space in the middle of the city,” said Greta Chapman, Board Chair of the Friends of the Rapid City Parks.
Remembering the Past
A little-known fact about the Greenway and the parks in the heart of the city is that these areas were used for residential housing before the flood.
Chapman emphasized the importance of reminding the public about how this space came to be.
“So, it’s both a commemoration and it’s a celebration. And for all the people, which is many that don’t understand or know how this happened, that’s why an annual event is so important to us,” said Chapman.
Activities and Community Involvement
Fourteen events took place over the weekend, including a cleanup of Rapid Creek. Various organizations, such as the Black Hills Fly Fishers and the Black Hills Sportsmen’s Club, regularly come together to clean the creek. During Greenway Days, over 40 volunteers participated in the cleanup effort.
“Rapid City is really gifted by this jewel of a creek,” said one of the organizers, identified as B.Y. “It really pulls our community together. My fly-fishing friends, of course, enjoy it for the fishing, but we also enjoy the parks and golf and the bike paths and all the things that our city has to offer along the Greenway.”
After the cleanup, some volunteers had the opportunity to enjoy fly fishing. B.Y. mentions that those who want to get involved in the clean-ups should check out their Facebook.
Other events:
- Black Hills Disc Golf Tournament
- Black Hills Photography Contest City of Rapid City Parks and Recreation Programming
- E-bike Rentals
- Golf courses Executive and Meadowbrook Golf open for Tee Times
- Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park Hiking and Biking Trails
- Journey Museum Flood Collection
- Memorial Walk 5k Friends of Rapid City Parks
- One Fly Fishing Contest sponsored by Black Hills Fly Fishers
- Paddlers of the Black Hills demonstration kayaks and paddleboards
- Rapid City Public Library Flood Archives Collection Gathering Stories
- Rapid City Watershed Action
- Storybook Island
- The Monument Greenway Storyboard (50 ft by 12 ft) Display
Chapman mentioned that the Friends of the Rapid City Parks are already planning to make next year’s Greenway Days even bigger and better. For more information about Friends of the Rapid City Parks and/or the Greenway Days, click this link here.
Read More
