Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Adventure

My cousin and I have recently started an organization called Paddle To Haiti in which he and I, along with four other men and women, will canoe down the mississippi from the northern terminus in Lake Itasca, Minnesota down to the where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico. We hope to raise upwards of $50,000 to help offset some of the reconstruction costs. Because we have both been involved with the couchsurfing project in the past, we know what a generous community it is. While we will be looking for monetary donations to the cause, we would also greatly appreciate other types of gear to help offset our personal expenses, whether it be food, gear, a place to sleep for some or all six of us (floor or yard space), contacts with local businesses and newspapers, transportation (a ride into town) and any other goods or services that will help us make it to the Gulf. We plan on leaving around the first week in September and hope to be finished by Thanksgiving. We will have a website that should be live online by the end of the week at PaddleToHaiti.com. On this website, one will be able to track our progress via google maps, see a list of our individual donors and corporate sponsors (with links to their websites), read our blog containing stories and pictures/video from the river, an online store in which one can purchase "Paddle to Haiti" and make donations via our paypal account. Thank you all so much and we hope to see you all along the way!

We will pass by these cities along the Mississippi:

Bemidji, Minnesota


Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Jacobson, Minnesota

Palisade, Minnesota

Hassman, Minnesota

Aitkin, Minnesota

Riverton, Minnesota

Brainerd, Minnesota

Fort Ripley, Minnesota

Little Falls, Minnesota

Sartell, Minnesota

St. Cloud, Minnesota

Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Nininger, Minnesota

Hastings, Minnesota

Prescott, Wisconsin

Prairie Island, Minnesota

Preston, Iowa

Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin

Red Wing, Minnesota  ( Pictured Right)

Hager City, Wisconsin

Maiden Rock, Wisconsin

Stockholm, Wisconsin

Lake City, Minnesota

Maple Springs, Minnesota

Camp Lacupolis, Minnesota

Pepin, Wisconsin

Reads Landing, Minnesota

Wabasha, Minnesota

Nelson, Wisconsin

Alma, Wisconsin

Buffalo City, Wisconsin

Weaver, Minnesota

Minneiska, Minnesota

Fountain City, Wisconsin

Winona, Minnesota

Homer, Minnesota

Trempealeau, Wisconsin

Dakota, Minnesota

Dresbach, Minnesota

La Crescent, Minnesota

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Brownsville, Minnesota

Stoddard, Wisconsin

Genoa, Wisconsin

Victory, Wisconsin

Potosi, Wisconsin

De Soto, Wisconsin

Lansing, Iowa

Ferryville, Wisconsin

Lynxville, Wisconsin

Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

Marquette, Iowa (Pictured Right)

McGregor, Iowa

Wyalusing, Wisconsin

Guttenberg, Iowa

Cassville, Wisconsin

Dubuque, Iowa

Galena, Illinois

Bellevue, Iowa

Savanna, Illinois

Sabula, Iowa

Fulton, Illinois

Clinton, Iowa

Cordova, Illinois

Le Claire, Iowa

Bettendorf, Iowa

Moline, Illinois

Davenport, Iowa

Rock Island, Illinois

Buffalo, Iowa

Muscatine, Iowa

New Boston, Illinois

Keithsburg, Illinois

Oquawka, Illinois

Burlington, Iowa

Dallas City, Illinois

Fort Madison, Iowa

Nauvoo, Illinois

Keokuk, Iowa (Pictured Right)

Warsaw, Illinois

Quincy, Illinois

Hannibal, Missouri

Louisiana, Missouri

Clarksville, Missouri

Portage Des Sioux, Missouri

Alton, Illinois

St. Louis, Missouri

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

Kaskaskia, Illinois

Chester, Illinois

Grand Tower, Illinois

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Thebes, Illinois

Commerce, Missouri

Cairo, Illinois

Wickliffe, Kentucky

Columbus, Kentucky

Hickman, Kentucky

New Madrid, Missouri

Tiptonville, Tennessee

Caruthersville, Missouri

Barfield, Arkansas

Tomato, Arkansas

Osceola, Arkansas

Reverie, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

West Memphis, Arkansas

Tunica, Mississippi

Helena-West Helena, Arkansas

Napoleon, Arkansas (historical)

Arkansas City, Arkansas

Greenville, Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Waterproof, Louisiana

Natchez, Mississippi (pictured Right)

Morganza, Louisiana

St. Francisville, Louisiana

New Roads, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Lutcher, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Pilottown, Louisiana

La Balize, Louisiana (historical)