Paddle With Purpose River Voyages

On the 2018 Missouri River Voyage, we used five or seven gallon, white "painter buckets" to carry our food. These had screw on lids but were not completely waterproof as we learned during a Williston, ND downpour. For 2020, we will carry "blue barrels". These are 20 or 60 liter containers designed for river travel and have metal locking bands. We expect to be overrun with raccoons and other critters along the Suwannee River since we will be staying on well used campsites. We hope that the raccoons have not yet learned how to open these barrels. Don't be frightened if you see our pet alligator at Joint Expo. Fortunately for you, the remote controlled version with the life size teeth cost more than we wanted to spend just to scare people during our presentations.

The Suwannee River Voyage bandanas have been ordered from the printer. They will be on display at the Joint Expo on Feb. 4-5. We selected two colors from the Water For People logo to create this design. Green was selected for the fabric and brown for the ink. This is the fourth bandana in the Paddle With Purpose series of voyages. The first was created for the Mississippi River Voyage, the second for the Five Rivers Voyage and the third was part of the Missouri River Voyage. A few of you may have them all. We will have lots of information about Water For People and the voyage at the Joint Expo. Stop by Booth 1213. We will have 150 bandanas and will be presenting one to each of our major Suwannee River Voyage donors. Be a donor, help Water For People and help us reach our goal.  See you there.

We have created a new logo to help promote the Suwannee River Voyage (SRV). It carries over the two orange bands that were used in the 2014 Mississippi River Voyage (MRV) logo. The color was originally taken from the Water For People logo because it created the highest visibility when flown as a flag on the MRV kayak. The SRV logo puts Water For People front and center and also gives a shout out to the organizations that contribute so much to the effort. Look for the SRV logo on the canoe this summer. We will also have it printed on bandannas for distribution to our voyage sponsors.

Gary and Linda will also be paddling the Suwannee River Voyage (SRV) canoe on the 2020 Grand River Expedition . Although not a Water For People event, they will serve as River Masters as they lead the 250 mile trip from Jackson, MI to Grand Haven. This will be an opportunity for people along the river to see the SRV sponsor logos displayed on the canoe and to hear the Water For People story. The trip starts on July 6, 2020 and ends on July 18. If you are anywhere near Michigan's longest river in July, watch for 100 canoes and kayaks celebrating the fact that water is life!