On July 11, 2007, the (Niagara) Peninsula Paddlers Kayak Club presented Friends of the Rideau with a cheque for $3,850. This was an accumulation of donations raised for their 2007 Rideau paddle adventure. These funds have been placed in Friends of the Rideau's new Rideau Legacy Fund, a fund dedicated to projects that support the mandate of Friends of the Rideau and help preserve and promote the legacy of the Rideau Canal. The reason for this fundraising was stated in an early 2007 email from John Wolfenberg, Treasurer of the Peninsula Paddlers Kayak Club. " Last year our club decided to paddle the Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa over a period of two years. The first part of our endeavor was to paddle from Kingston to Smiths Falls and this year from Smiths Falls to Ottawa during the week of July 6 -13th. We had 22 paddlers and a total of 27 participants involved last summer. To say that we were impressed with the canal, the lockmasters, the facilities and the neighbouring communities would be an understatement. The trip was so successful that we expect to attract at least as many paddlers this year as last." This year's trip, with 26 intrepid adventurers, occurred just a few days after the Rideau Canal was designated a World Heritage Site, so the timing for this very generous donation to our Rideau Legacy Fund couldn't have been better. A big THANK YOU to the club and all those who contributed donations - your support of the Rideau Canal is very much appreciated. www.peninsulapaddlers.com/ |
