Paddle for Heroes not-for-profit founder Stephen Fleming is committed to making sure people with disabilities come to feel as at ease as everyone else.
“The water can be a healing place for people that are suffering or have been through a traumatic event,” Fleming told the Mount Vernon News. “Kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding are a few ways people can relieve stress and begin to heal. Getting on the water can be a struggle for those individuals due to physical limitations.”
It's feel-good moments like those Fleming had in mind when he launched Paddle for Heroes to help veterans enjoy the water in some of the same ways everyone else gets to.
“The goal was to raise revenue so we could transport our paddle equipment to where it needed to be to help those we were trying to help,” Fleming said. “It’s been proven water is therapeutic for people going through tough times. Canoeing, kayaking, all of that is good for people.”
Paddle for Heroes is co-sponsoring today's Kokosing & Mohican River Clean-ups and played host in May to its third annual PFH 5K and Adventure Race at Ariel-Foundation Park Kiwanis Pavilion in Mount Vernon. Participants had the option of choosing to run/walk the standard 5K or challenge themselves with the adventure race, which consisted of the 5K race, 1.5K paddleboard race and obstacles. The 2021 goal was 2,021 miles for the 2021 challenge, with participants able to do the miles on their own time over the course of the entire year.
The organization also regularly works to involve veterans, first responders and others in such activities as river clean-ups, community projects, disaster relief and “healing through paddling."
Fleming said the idea for Paddle for Heroes came to him while he was doing volunteer work for heroes in Virginia at an event that took veterans out on the water.
“I was actually in the service at that time, and that really stayed with me,” he said. “I’m originally from ... Mount Vernon and I talked to some friends who thought it would be a great idea to paddle from Mount Vernon to Marietta, about 160 miles.”
Fleming the vision of becoming a not-for-profit dawned on him based on how much support the event got from the community.
“We ended up raising about $6,000 for two different veterans’ organizations,” he said. “Every year, we seem to get new people, new veterans and new supporters.”
Going forward, Fleming said, he hopes to have volunteers and supporters from as far away as Florida and would like to expand the program there. He added all the perks of the job keep him going.
“We’ve have had people at events didn’t know each other but afterward they were friends for life,” he said. “It’s a really good feeling.”
The next event is today, Sept. 18, the 2021 Kokosing & Mohican River Clean-ups sponsored by Knox County Recycling and Litter Prevention. Paddle for Heroes will be cleaning the 6-mile section from Millwood to Riley Chapel Road on the Kokosing, and 5.5 miles from Greer Landing to Bridge of Dreams on the Mohican River, 11640 Bridge St., Howard. Bring your canoe, kayak and river shoes and help preserve Ohio's scenic rivers. There will be a limited amount of kayaks and canoes available for veterans, first respondersmand their families. Lunch will be served on the river.
For more information, log on at https://www.paddleforheroesmidwest.org/.
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