Thrill-seekers will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rappel 200 feet down one of Gatlinburg’s most iconic hotels while also raising funds for the river cleanup nonprofit, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful™, at the ‘Rappelling for the Rivers’ event held on Saturday, Aug. 2, in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The fundraiser has been timed when Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTnRB) is nearing the milestone of 1,000,000 lbs. of trash removed from the seven-state Tennessee River watershed since the nonprofit put its first boat in the water in 2019. The ask of participants is to help KTnRB get ‘Over the Edge’ to reach the milestone with a total fundraiser goal of $100,000.
Rappelling for the Rivers is KTnRB's first-ever major fundraiser and will raise funds to help KTnRB surpass the milestone of 1 million pounds of trash removed since putting their first boat in the water in 2019.
A rappeller at a previous Over the Edge event prepares to descend down a building (photo provided by Over the Edge).
The river cleanup nonprofit has teamed up with Over the Edge, the world’s largest urban rappelling company, to offer an exclusive experience rappelling from the rooftop of The Park Vista, a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. To date, Over the Edge has helped nonprofits host over 1,500 fundraiser rappelling events all over the world, raising a total of $150 million for nonprofit organizations worldwide.
The tallest hotel in Gatlinburg, The Park Vista resides 1,000 feet above the tourist city with an up-close backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains. This setting is expected to make the rappelling experience all the more unforgettable for participants.
“When you’re the 1st Keep America Beautiful affiliate in the country to focus solely on a river, it goes hand-in-hand to have an equally innovative first major fundraiser,” said Kathleen Gibi, KTnRB Executive Director. “This is an incredible opportunity for residents of the Tennessee River watershed and visitors alike to take in stunning, unmatched views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains, earn some bragging rights through this one-of-a-kind adventure, and help to raise both funds and awareness for protecting our region’s most valuable natural resource.”
Gibi will be one of those rappelling on the day of the event and is personally raising funds to reach the minimum donation of $1,000 that earns participants one of the coveted 92 spots available to rappel at this unique venue.
The required donation can be made by a single donation or by pursuing multiple supportive pledges on the campaign’s fundraiser page. Prize packages will be awarded to individuals who excel in different aspects of the fundraising campaign.
Funds raised at the event will go toward programming for KTnRB, particularly focusing on river cleanup efforts. Each year, the organization hosts river cleanups at which the KTnRB crew takes volunteers in their two 26-foot work boats to clean the shorelines within all seven states of the Tennessee River watershed.
A look at two trash boats that were hauled in from a cleanup on the Tennessee River.
To date, KTnRB has rallied over 5,000 volunteers to remove 950,025 lbs. of trash from the Tennessee River watershed at 228 cleanups. In 2025 alone, the nonprofit has worked with 523 volunteers who have removed 116,147 lbs. of trash. Many of this year’s cleanups have targeted areas impacted by natural disasters, including multiple lakes and rivers impacted by Hurricane Helene, Pickwick Lake, which has been repeatedly pelted with tornadoes this year, and Kentucky Lake, which has experienced several floods in recent years.
Volunteers celebrate with KTnRB and Living Lands & Waters crews, standing next to three of five trash boats filled up on Douglas Lake following Hurricane Helene. Within two days of cleanups on Douglas Lake, KTnRB volunteers removed over 31,000 lbs. of trash.
If successful, Gibi said this fundraiser will empower KTnRB to focus and even increase their efforts to host cleanups in areas affected by natural disasters.
“We’re so grateful to The Park Vista for making this event possible, because as natural disasters seem to be increasing, our work is more and more crucial,” said Gibi. “It’s our hope that this is an event that helps people to make joy-filed memories and especially helps to raise awareness for the Tennessee River watershed.”
Whether it’s raising $1,000 to rappel at the event, donating money to the fundraiser campaign, sharing the story on social media, or simply coming to cheer the rappelers on, Gibi said it will be making a huge difference for the region.
To participate in Rappelling for the Rivers or to simply make a donation, click the above button or visit www.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org/rappelling-for-the-rivers.