When someone contacts me about a project or website that makes the world a slightly better place to exist in, I sometimes offer to work with them to fully take on the task of designing, building, and hosting their project. This is a story of one such good cause.
275 Miles of River
Two guys, two kayaks, 275 miles of the Neuse River located in NC USA. This is a story of Chris and Reggie. Both are planning to paddle from Falls Lake Dam to Pamlico Sound, pulling trash out of the water the entire way. The trip will take somewhere between one and two weeks. An honestly huge task to undertake.
But really, this isn’t just a river cleanup. There is a lot more to it. Last year, Reggie lost his leg in an accident and spent an entire year in recovery. This trip symbolizes his return: a return to independence, to the life he had before his accident. Chris is bringing something a long with him too: His mother passed in early 2024, and at the end of the journey, he’ll grant her wish and spread her ashes where the Neuse meets the Atlantic.
The tagline is easy: Two kayaks, one river. A mission to clean, heal, and remember.
How I Got Involved
I actually know Christopher personally. When he told me about what they were planning… the full 275-mile river, the cleanup, what it meant to both of them… it was obvious they’d need a digital presence. Somewhere to share the story, recruit volunteers along the river, track the route, and accept donations.
I added a pro bono offer to this site. The idea is simple: if you’re doing something genuinely good for your community and you need a web presence, I’ll build it for free. Design, development, hosting, domain and more… all covered. The Neuse River Run was the first project to come through under that offer, and it felt like exactly what it was meant for. No pitch, no proposal, an old friend. Just a conversation about a river trip that I personally felt a connection to.
The Site
I built a single-page site that tells the story top to bottom: the mission, route, team, and how to help. The goal was something that felt as intentional as the mission itself.
A few things of note:
The river map. I drew an SVG of the full Neuse River path using real coordinate and elevation data, with seven interactive waypoints — Falls Lake Dam, Raleigh, Smithfield, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern, and Pamlico Sound. On load, the river draws itself across the page, and each waypoint fades in as the line reaches it. Tap any waypoint to see the mile marker, elevation, and a note about the terrain. Getting the path curves to feel natural (especially around the bends near Goldsboro) took longer than I’d like to admit, but the map is the centerpiece of the page, so it had to be right.
Real Weather Data. The Neuse River on the site flows in real time. Pulling in live weather data from the heart of the river basin and use it to drive the current, glow, and turbulence of the SVG river, so when it’s storming in Goldsboro for example, you’ll see the animation reflect that in real time.
The design. Dark topographic theme with teal accents. I wanted it to feel like looking at a trail map at night — something that matched the outdoor, expedition feel of what they’re doing. Montserrat for headings, Source Sans for body, JetBrains Mono for the data points on the map. The topographic background tiles across the page and gives the whole thing a sense of terrain without being distracting.
No bloat. Astro for the build, no CMS, no heavy dependencies. The whole site loads fast and works on any device. The entire thing is a single page with some JavaScript for the interactive bits: no framework overhead, no client-side routing, just what you need and nothing you don’t.
Full transparency. The site makes it easy to donate, volunteer at river access points, loan equipment like cameras or solar chargers, or just share the mission. Everything is upfront about where the money goes and how people can help.
Why Free
The people doing the most important work in their communities usually can’t afford a website. A nonprofit shouldn’t have to choose between a functioning web presence and the thing they actually exist to do.
If you’re running a nonprofit, community org, or grassroots project and need a website, get in touch.
Check It Out
The site is live at theneuse.com. If you want to support their mission — donate, volunteer at a river access point, or just share the link — everything you need is on the site.
And if you know someone doing good work who needs a website, send them my way.