Participant Guide

BE A LINK – The highlight of DURANGO CONNECT is a 7-mile human chain along Animas River Trail. Everyone is welcome to participate, please keep in mind…

1. ALL TRAFFIC, PARKING, AND CITY REGULATIONS APPLY for arrival, participation, and departing Durango Connect.
2. SCHOOLS ARE PARTICIPATING – please follow all common-sense safety and privacy considerations. Only teachers, staff, and invited parents are allowed to “link up” with each class. DO NOT INTERFERE OR MIX IN WITH SCHOOL GROUPS.
3. WALK TO THE TRAIL – It’s fun, good for you, be kind to the environment, and help ease traffic and parking.
4. BIKE TO THE TRAIL, but for everyone’s safety and ease of forming the human chain; please do not ride on the Animas River Trail during Durango Connect. Walk your bike in crowded areas. Pedestrians have right-of-way over bicycles.
5. IF YOU DRIVE TO THE TRAIL, PLEASE CARPOOL. We need participants on the south end of the Animas River Trail (from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot). There are many parking lots within walking distance of the trail. If you park in a business lot, please be respectful of merchants and depart as soon as possible when the event concludes.
6. HANDICAP ACCESS to the trail is available at all trailheads. Please accommodate access to the human chain for persons with special needs (i.e. let them get in the line where it’s most convenient).
7. ARRIVE EARLY especially if you have time to travel to the south end of town where we need participants.
8. PLEASE LEAVE DOGS AT HOME for Durango Connect. Leash laws and penalties will be strictly enforced if you bring a pooch. For everyone’s safety, there will be a no-tolerance policy for any loose dogs at any time.
9. EMERGENCIES – Call 911 for serious emergencies. Durango Police will be patrolling the event. Additional security on the trail will be provided by the La Plata County Mounted Patrol and the Colorado Mounted Rangers. They will be identified by yellow City of Durango event vests.
10. PERSONAL CHECKLIST – Don’t forget appropriate footwear, sunscreen, a snack, and your own water bottle.
11. LISTEN – Durango Connect will be broadcast live on three local radio stations from 8:00 AM to 10:30AM: 99X (99.7 FM); KIQX (101.3 FM), and KRSJ (100.5 FM). Tune in for real-time information, announcements, entertainment, and interesting stories on the day of event.
12. HOW TO MAKE A LINK – Hold hands, link arms, or any other mutually accepted way to be in contact with persons on each side of you.
13. THE MOMENT OF THE LINK – The plan is to have everyone link up at 10:00 AM exactly. The official signal for everyone to join hands will be an aircraft flyover. After that, a helicopter will fly from south to north to film the human chain for television. Keep the human chain intact until you are notified by officials that the event is over.
14. MORE WORDS OF WISDOM – Bring water, use sunscreen, smile, laugh, NO SMOKING, NO ALCOHOL, HELP PICK UP ANY TRASH, and please…

Take care of each other.

Download a PDF version of the Durango Connect Participant Guide