Many of you know how important the Friendship Paddle is to my family.  We were introduced to this amazing organization in 2013 when our good friend Tara selected as the Honoree.  Tara challenged my wife, April, to face her fears of the open ocean and paddle for her across the channel.  That event changed April in a deep way and she paddled with Team Tara for the next 10 years and was a top fund raiser each time. 

Life took a turn for us and April was selected as the Honoree in 2023 after she was diagnosed with ALS.  April's paddle was a beautiful event in the middle of an unimaginable hardship.  Even without a voice, she bullied here friends and family into facing their own fears and paddling across the channel with her.  April described that weeked as an opportunity to attend her own memorial and it meant the world to her.

In times of tragedy, we feel so helpless.  What I learned from our experience as an Honoree family is that this organization provides both emotional support AND financial support in a big way.  The financial support has a real impact and I can personally attest to the relief when a community gathers to take financial stress out of an impossible equation.  This is how you can help this year's Honoree, Scott, and I hope you will join us.

Scott paddled for last year's Honoree, Nick, who he met at the cancer center.  Scott joined us on a Wednesday morning paddle last summer and we found ourselves paddling together for the final two miles back to the beach.  We didn't know each other and started with the typical questions of how we came to be there that day.  This led to my story of April and her paddle and to Scott's story of living with life threatening cancer.  We got pretty deep on that paddle and I am so thankful that the full force of the Friendship Paddle is now focused on Scott and his family.

Please think of us on April's favorite weekend of the year!