The Rotaract Club of North Bay–Nipissing in partnership with the North Bay Canoe Club held its 6th Annual Up the Creek Without a PADDLE event on Friday, raising over $10,000 for the Providing Adults with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences (PADDLE) Program.
Community leaders were sent out in dragon boats on Trout Lake where they solicited donations from friends, family and colleagues before returning to shore. Participants included: Geof Botting, Vic Fedeli, Carri Johnson, Jacques Lacourse, Chris Mayne, Leanne Noel, Julie Perry, Jeff Serran, Colin Thacker, David Thompson & Ted Thomson.
“On behalf of the PADDLE program, I would like to sincerely thank the Rotaract Club of North Bay-Nipissing for their continued support,” said Megan Johnson, PADDLE Program Coordinator. “Year after year, we see such an inspired group of individuals give their own time and talents to ensure people in our community continue to live fuller and brighter lives. We are grateful and amazed.”
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Julie Perry and Carri Johnson. Submitted photo.
PADDLE is a growing, community-based program that provides adults with special needs lifelong learning experiences through academics, physical fitness, life skills education, recreation and leisure. To learn more about PADDLE visit www.paddlenorthbay.ca.
Katina Matheson, president of the Rotaract Club, said “We were thrilled to have such a great turnout this year! We could not do this event without those that volunteer to go out in the boat and it would not be nearly as successful without such a supportive and generous community”.
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. The Rotaract Club of North Bay–Nipissing has raised over $55,000 for PADDLE prior to this year’s event. To learn more about Rotaract visit rotaractnbn.com or facebook.com/RotaractNBN
Original story:
If you were stranded on a dragon boat without a paddle under dark, gloomy skies, who would you call to help bring you back to shore?
On Friday, not even the cold, grey and windy conditions could keep North Bay’s politicians, business leaders and prominent members of the community from jumping in a canoe in the middle of Delaney Bay to raise money for the Providing Adults with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences (PADDLE) program.
The unique fundraising event left the passengers stranded on Trout Lake until they solicited enough donations from family, friends and colleagues to purchase a paddle and return to shore.
“It’s a unique experience and a unique event in general,” said Katina Matheson, the president of the Rotaract Club of North Bay-Nipissing. “Everyone here is obviously very passionate about our community and the PADDLE program in particular, based on the response that we get from them, their colleagues and their friends.
“They’re all able to be very successful in their fundraising efforts because of that support.”
The Rotaract Club of North Bay-Nipissing and the North Bay Canoe Club teamed up for the sixth annual Up The Creek Without a PADDLE event. The canoes launched from Olmsted Beach full of fundraisers diligently dialing their phones in search of donations.
“This year we’ve seen a big increase in those participating,” said Matheson. “In years past, we’ve had five or six people out collecting money and it’s always been successful, but this year we’ve got 10 people that are going out in each boat to raise money, so we’re excited to see the continued interest and see new partners come on board.”
Two boats full of patrons braved the less than favourable conditions with cell phones and clipboards in hand. With smiles and enthusiasm abound, the boats returned to land with organizers anxiously awaiting the results of the fundraisers' efforts.
“You see the amazing work that PADDLE does, so it’s definitely worth the time and effort; it’s hardly anything from us,” said fundraiser Jeff Serran, executive director of Downtown North Bay. “We are the community members that get to come out here to do this but it’s the people that we’re contacting that are making the difference.
“North Bay is such a giving community and it speaks volumes about the people that live here,” added Serran, who was able to raise just over $300 while out in the boat.
PADDLE provides adults with special needs lifelong learning experiences through structured and inclusive activities such as academics, physical fitness and life skills education. Their mission is to ensure adults with developmental disabilities continue to thrive and grow socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually.
The community-based learning centre is a parent driven initiative with administrative management through the Nipissing Association for Disabled Youth (NADY).
“It’s always such an amazing event to be a part of,” said Megan Johnson, program coordinator of PADDLE. “Every year we have members of our community who come out and ask their friends and family to donate to something that they care about, and to us that means everything.”
The Rotaract Club of North Bay-Nipissing is a service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Up the Creek Without a Paddle is their largest fundraising event, with the group having raised over $56,000 for PADDLE, not including this year’s total.
Even after six consecutive years of running the event, organizers say they are constantly reminded of how generous the community is when it comes to a worthy cause.
“It gives us a really good look at what North Bay has to offer in terms of its citizens; such a generous group of people in our community that keep charitable groups going,” said Johnson. “We receive no government funding, so we rely completely on donations from our community, and for us to be able to have that support is beyond words.”
