June 23, 2008 11:13 PM
Rob Bean and his Big Moo Canoe
If you've been trying to think of a good excuse to chuck the domestic duties and go paddling, check out Rob Bean and his Big Moo Canoe Challenge. The Fort Collins resident came up with a perfect paddling excuse: to raise money for charity.
In a team fundraising effort with his family and friends, Bean reports pulling in more than $7,200 in donations for Heifer International. The paddling he did by himself - covering 250 miles over a span of three long days (June 13-15) on the North Platte River near Saratoga, Wyo.
That's a lot of paddling, and it doesn't include the water time he put in for months to train for his ultramarathon event.
The challenge he set for himself "turned out to be one of the hardest things I have ever done," Bean said in a news release. The first day was especially difficult, he said, as he paddled his canoe into sustained winds of 35 mph and gusts to 55 mph. Well, it was Friday the 13th, after all.
The wind relented on the next two days as Bean began each day at Treasure Island, 12.2 miles upriver from Saratoga, and paddled to where the North Platte intersects Interstate 80, 44.5 miles downriver from Saratoga, plus several miles beyond. In order to get in enough miles, his support team shuttled him back to Treasure Island to repeat some of the river he'd already paddled. He covered approximately 85 miles each day and reached his ultimate 250-mile goal in a total of 32 hours, 55 minutes.
In his online tale of the tape, Bean reports he flipped his boat once during his odyssey and had 15 near-flips. He figures he burned 22,179 calories, supplied in part by 14 PowerBars and 18 bottles of Ensure. His boat, by the way, is a Spencer Extreme unlimited class racing canoe made by a Texas boat-builder. It's 23 feet long, narrow, and has a rudder that Bean steers with his feet.
Heifer International, Bean's charity of choice, works to end world hunger and increase self-reliance in poverty-stricken areas of the globe with gifts of livestock. The recipient pledges to pass on the gift with a donation of the animal's first offspring. Bean's initial goal to raise $5,000 (which he surpassed) is enough to donate 10 cows. He will continue to accept donations for Heifer International through his Web site until July 20.
I'm intrigued by people who use their own extreme physical exertion as a means to coax money from donors, and even more intrigued that it works. I recall donating money on behalf of a friend doing a Breast Cancer Walk and another time for a niece running a Team in Training marathon. But otherwise, the athlete has always been me and the donation has been whatever proportion of my entry fee goes to charity.
Bean's odyssey shows people will respond to someone who sets the achievement bar high and follows through. Another example was provided Saturday by former New York Giants lineman George Martin, who finished a 3,003-mile walk in which he raised $2 million for sick 9/11 rescue workers.
Still, I'd rather be a participant than a spectator. Which is why I like Bean's thinking for an encore next year.
"I will continue to paddle long distances, for sure, but the format of The Big Moo Canoe will evolve into a more approachable family- and/or paddling club-focused event next time," Bean told me. "We had so many people who wanted to paddle along this year. Logistically I just did not have a large enough crew to mix the 250-mile challenge and try to keep track of other participants.
"Next year, we have contemplated having a Saturday event, packed with river-related activities and races that would culminate in a free Heifer-themed party at the Saratoga river park with a free band. I will work with my Denver based canoeing contacts to try to get them to host a 5- and 10-mile race and also have a 10-mile family flotilla. The evening party will be designed to offer an alternative for our non-boating friends who still want to enjoy the day and learn about Heifer."
Here's hoping The Big Moo Canoe stays afloat.
Meantime, this coming weekend offers a charitable opportunity for both those who wish to participate and those who'd rather sponsor someone else. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Rocky Mountains will be held Saturday and Sunday, starting in Keystone and winding up 39.3 miles later at Breckenridge.
Join the discussion