Fact sheet

Michigan Water Environment Association

Water For People Committee

Suwannee River Voyage

Voyage Fact Sheet 

The Suwannee River Voyage (SRV) is a canoe trip that was originally planned to begin on April 2, 2020, at Kingfisher Landing in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Folkston, Georgia. The 2020 route was to follow rivers for 648 miles to a takeout on the St. Johns River near Orlando, Florida.

The SRV has been on hold since 2020 but is now back with a new plan for 2023. The voyage will still begin in the Okefenokee swamp, the headwaters of the Suwannee River, but will now end at the river’s mouth in the Gulf of Mexico.

The goal of the voyage is again to raise money for Water For People (WFP). SRV is self-funded by the on-the-water team of Gary and Linda De Kock from Grand Rapids, MI, so all sponsorship donations go directly to benefit WFP. The American Water Works Association helped to establish Water For People in 1991 and WFP is a Charity of Choice for the Water Environment Federation (WEF). To support the voyage, visit the Ripple Effect fundraiser, Suwannee River Voyage, on the Water For People website.

Gary and Linda will carry a satellite communicator, and you can follow their progress online at https://share.garmin.com/SuwanneeRiverVoyage. They will also post videos and updates on the Paddle With Purpose River Voyages Facebook page.

In 2014, Gary and Linda kayaked 2,300 miles in 70 days, their first voyage in support of Water For People. The trip took them from Minnesota via the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2018, they canoed 2,350 miles in 86 days to complete the Missouri River Voyage. In October of 2017, they received the Robert W. Hite Award from WFP for their work which has raised over $66,000 for Water For People.

Water For People exists to promote the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services, accessible to all, and sustained by strong communities, businesses, and governments.  They have offices in Denver, CO and work in ten countries around the world.

8/21/2022