PO‘IPU — Food drove the paddlers of one-man canoes and at least one two-person canoe on a fun day paddle to Salt Pond yesterday. Tom Bartlett said, “We need to burn off some calories because in the next few days
PO‘IPU — Food drove the paddlers of one-man canoes and at least one two-person canoe on a fun day paddle to Salt Pond yesterday.
Tom Bartlett said, “We need to burn off some calories because in the next few days we’re going to be putting away some serious food.”
But the event turned out to be more than a fun day paddle because Bartlett came up with an idea to turn the paddle into a fundraiser for the Kaua‘i Food Bank.
“I heard that for every dollar contributed, they can buy about four dollars worth of food,” Bartlett said. “I got the word out and every paddler who’s going to paddle is going to contribute at least $10 for the food bank.”
That turned out to be more fruitful than Bartlett thought as Phil Zeidner turned in $30.
“I just had a good day in a weak stock market,” Zeidner said while getting help from Bartlett in moving his craft into position at the Po‘ipu Beach Park.
Bartlett said there has been between a dozen to 15 paddlers turning out each Sunday for an unofficial fun paddle.
“We just go out for fun. We’re the Sunday Fun Day Gang,” Bartlett said. “But today, we figure we’d grab some bucks and give it to the food bank.”
Yesterday’s paddle had the paddlers launching from the Po‘ipu Beach Park for a nice paddle to the Salt Pond Beach Park.
The Kaua‘i Hoe Wa‘a season is scheduled to open on Jan. 4, Bartlett said. At that time, there should be between 50 to 60 paddlers launching.
“There’s no wind today,” Bartlett said. “But it doesn’t matter. The beer is going to taste real good.”
