The Great River Coalition was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2014. For many of our members, this served to formalize the efforts they had been committed to for well over the past decade. Previously, Great River Coalition President Diane Hofstede worked with the University of Minnesota's Dr. Marla Spivak to introduce the city of Minneapolis' first honeybee ordinance to allow beekeeping within the city limits. Hofstede also provided testimony that led to State of Minnesota designating the Saint Anthony West neighborhood as a River Neighborhood in the Minneapolis Critical Area Plan.

In 2016, the Great River Coalition held its first annual 5K Bee Run™ – Earth Day Fun Run/Walk/River Cleanup in partnership with the National Park Service and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The event was a great success, and it continues to grow. The 2017 second annual 5K Bee Run™ drew more than 400 participants from across the Upper Midwest! Also in 2017, we held our first autumn event, Bee Buzz, an evening fund-raiser filled with delicious bee-related drinks and food, and informed by professional horticultural speakers. In 2018, the third annual 5K Bee Run™ also had more than 400 participants, despite that late spring that year. In 2019 for the 49th anniversary of Earth Day, we had over 700 participants! In 2020 we decided to cancel the 2020 5K Bee Run - Earth Day Fun Run/Walk & River Cleanup due to COVID-19. The 2021 event was a Virtual Run/Walk/Bike which drew hundreds of participants. Please save the date and plan to join us for next year’s 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup on April 19, 2025.

We are buzzing with excitement about our future, and we hope you'll be a part of it. Find out how you can get involved today.