Dear Friends (and Future Friends) of Team River Runner:
If you know about Team River Runner (TRR), you are a friend of TRR; can't be helped.
If you don't already know about TRR, let me introduce you to a wonderful group of volunteers who aim to make the rehabilitation of young service-disabled veterans a little more likely to succeed.
The Concept: The idea is to provide social support though all kinds of paddlesport - - and particularly through white water kayaking. TRR partners with VA and DoD medical centers to reach out to wounded veterans and servicemembers, often through recreational therapy programs. Volunteers and medical care clinicians work together with one immediate goal: getting "butts in boats" in any way possible. That can involve just about any disability, any kind of boat powered by paddling, and any kind of water (rivers, lakes, ocean).
The Vision Team Paddles in the Grand Canyon: Take a look at the video, "The Vision Team, Grand Canyon 2018" on the homepage of the TRR website (www.teamriverrunner.org) showing how TRR trained a group of blind veterans for a kayaking trip down the Colorado River as it passes through a 226 mile stretch of the Grand Canyon. Completed in September, the trip was a great success. The video tells you much of what you need to know about TRR and the passion involved in "giving back."
Showing Up: What the video doesn't tell you is that social support provided through TRR is fundamentally about "showing up." Showing up means organizing and participating in pool sessions at medical centers to teach the kayak roll; showing up for weekly paddle sessions on nearby stretches of flat water and then down rivers; and showing up in many others ways in between.
Showing up also means becoming a friend of TRR by helping to financially support its operations. This is a small nonprofit with a few paid staff and little overhead working on an annual budget that now runs around $600K. Skimping wherever possible, it's nonetheless true that taking a group of wounded vets safely down the Grand Canyon takes more than under-the-seat-cushion money; thus, we need to fund raise. TRR started in 2004, now operates over 60 chapters in 31 states, and has helped over 2,000 veterans and servicemembers over its 14-year history. That's a lot of boats, paddles, and duct tape.
TRR is holding its 14th annual Biathlon next Sunday morning (9:00 am), October 14th on the Potomac River at the Washington Canoe Club (3700 Water Street, Washington, DC 20007). It's one of our biggest fundraising events each year. Please come to watch, cheer racers on, volunteer as an event helper, and/or participate as a racer (where the course involves a 1 mile paddle and a 3 mile run.)
Whether you can make it on race day or not, please support TRR by donating to my TRR fundraising team, "Team VetsWork." This fundraising team celebrates the idea that "nothing heals like a job." Turns out that TRR has played an important role in leading many wounded warriors to jobs - - and thereby to more independence and happiness. It all starts with putting a little adventure back in lives where that didn't seem possible.
And, really, it all starts by showing up.
George
PS: To donate …
- Click on this link to go to the Team VetsWork fundraising page.
- Then, click on "Sponsor Our Team."
- Then, please give generously.
Thank you.
laks@calleva.org
calleva.org/liquid-adventures-kayak
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