Contact All Out Adventures for event and ticket information.
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM (ET)
Please note: The Kayak-a-thon will happen on our rain date, Saturday, September 19.
About the Kayak-a-thon
September 12 will be our 3rd annual! Our first two were a great success, raising a combined $15,000 and involving over 80 people. All money raised goes to support the availability of no or low fee outdoor recreation programs for people with disabilities and their family and friends.
This year our goal is to raise $15,000! We need your help.
Challenge yourself to paddle either 13 miles from Sunderland to Northampton or 6 miles from Hatfield to Northampton on the beautiful Connecticut River. Gather pledges in honor of your efforts to help us keep outdoor recreation accessible to people of all abilities.
Details
Date: September 12, 2009
Rain Date: September 19, 2009
Time: We will launch our kayaks in Sunderland at 10:00am. We expect to arrive in Hatfield around 12:30pm, depart at 12:45pm and arrive in Northampton around 3:15pm.
Transportation: This is a one-way river trip from Sunderland or Hatfield to Northampton. Participants should either make their own shuttle arrangements or plan to meet the group in Northampton the morning of the event to arrange carpools.
Weather: We will re-schedule if there is severe weather (lightning, heavy rain, high winds) that can create unsafe conditions on the river. Please keep the rain date open; we used it last year!
Equipment: All Out Adventures has a limited number of kayaks, PFDs, and paddles. We will supply the equipment we have on a first-come, first-served basis. If you will need to use an All Out Adventures kayak, please call us to reserve your kayak once you have reached the fundraising minimum ($150 per kayak).
Required Equipment for all: kayak, PFD (life jacket), paddle, snacks, lunch, water
Support: All Out Adventures staff and volunteers will provide paddling instruction and support on the trip. You should have some experience paddling a kayak and feel confident in your ability to paddle the full distance for which you have registered.
Post Kayak-a-thon Cookout: Please plan to join us at the end for a cookout with hamburgers, veggie burgers, and other treats
Fundraising Prizes: New this year, we are offering fundraising incentives so that you can reach your goal while helping us to reach ours!
If you raise:
$4,000: Werner Camano Bent Shaft Carbon Paddle
$3,000: Werner Camano Fiberglass Touring Paddle
$1,750: Stohlquist Motion PFD (life jacket)
$1,000: $50 gift card to Recreation Equipment, Inc.
$400: Fleece Vest with All Out Adventures logo
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there a fundraising minimum?
All Out Adventures is committed to providing low or no cost outdoor recration programming to people of all abilities. We operate from 130 - 140 programs each year that cost no more than $5. In order to continue to offer our programs for no or low cost, we must raise approximately $73,000 each year. The Kayak-a-thon is our signature fundraising event, and the $150/boat minimum ensures the continued success of the event and of our organization.
This year we are requesting that people call us to reserve a kayak after they have met their fundraising minimum. This is to help us plan for how many kayaks to bring to the event because we have a limited number of kayaks available and limited space on our trailer. We want to ensure the kayaks are available for those who can participate while meeting the fundraising minimum.
How do I go about fundraising? $150 seems like a lot.
Our most successful fundraisers ask several people for a little bit of money. If you are kayaking 13 miles, you only need to ask 12 people to sponsor you for $1/mile! Co-workers, family, and friends would all be likely to part wtih $13 to support your participation in the event. Alternatively, you can approach a few people for more money. It would only take 3 people to each sponsor you for $50. Still nervous? Give us a call for advice, tips, and encouragement!
Which distance should I pick?
13 miles is a long, but manageable distance. Those who have little kayaking experience and are unsure of their stamina should either choose the 6-mile option or opt to go in a tandem kayak with a more experienced kayaker. Those who have good physical and mental stamina may choose to challenge themselves with the 13-mile option. Though we stop in Hatfield mid-way, those who choose the 13-mile option should be prepared to paddle the entire distance. We are not prepared to assist paddlers in ending the event early early except for emergencies.
How long will the event last?
We expect to arrive in Northampton around 3:15pm for a cookout. However, many factors - including the kayaking strength of the group and the strength of the river current - impact our timing. You will want to allow plenty of time in your day's schedule for us to arrive in Northampton later than that.
What else should I know?
Imagine being on the water with 25 - 30 other kayaks! It's an amazing feeling, and a wonderful, fun, supportive event in which to participate. We paddle as a group toward one goal: rasing the funding necessary to keep low or no cost outdoor recreation programming accessible to people with disabilities and their family and friends.
All Out Adventures promotes health, community, and independence for people with disabilities and their family and friends through outdoor recreation.
Based in Easthampton, MA, we load up our van and trailer to provide 130 outdoor recreation programs each year from the Berkshires to Boston. Our programs serve over 2,000 people and are provided for either no or very low cost to participants. Programming includes: kayaking, canoeing, cycling, hiking, geocaching, letterboxing, snowshoeing, ice skating, x-country skiing, and camping.
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