The Happy Camper: Canoe4Covid Adventure Fundraiser
When six 18-year-old camp counselors from Algonquin’s Camp Ahmek found themselves out of a job last summer due to Covid, they decided to squeeze the life out of the lemons they were handed and make the best darn lemonade possible. They planned a 2,000-kilometre, 60-day canoe trip across Ontario, from Wabakimi to Ottawa; and along the way they ran a fundraiser for people who were in need because of the effects of Covid.
By the time the trip was over, the paddlers (Tim Mulligan, Jacob Heisey, Will Vyse, Georges Kirijian, Cailan Robinson, and Nolan Aziz) raised over $80,000 for Food Banks Canada—$20,000 over their projected goal. They had also paddled and portages some of the toughest, obscure canoe routes across the province, exploring inland from the Great Lakes as much as possible.
They’ve just released the first and second of five episodes on their journey. It documents their first nine days from Wabakimi Provincial Park to Lake Nipigon, and then from Lake Superior to Chapleau.
Check it out:
Also check out my Happy Camper Whisky Fireside Chat I did with them last week and get all the details. They all had reached drinking age by the time we did the interview—except for poor Jacob. He cheered everyone with an energy drink rather than a wee dram of single malt.