Paddling Down the Mississippi to Help Gulf Fishermen
Many who saw the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill unfold on television in 2010 felt powerless to help. But college graduates Alex Poe and Cliff Walls watched from their homes in Michigan and were compelled to take action.
Alex Poe and Cliff Walls on their 2,350-mile journey.
The two friends had been methodically planning a “source-to-sea” canoe trip on the Mississippi River for years, when they learned that the oil spill had occurred just offshore from Venice, Louisiana, the small fishing town that would be their final destination.
Inspired to help the people and coastal communities impacted by the disaster, Poe and Walls decided to turn their dream trip into a philanthropic mission.
Despite having never met a Louisiana fishermen in person, they set a goal of raising $2 for every mile paddled, which they would then donate to the Friends of the Fishermen fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fishermen affected by the oil spill.
Poe and Walls began their 2,350-mile journey at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, using social media to raise awareness and funds along the way. “It was like we were bringing down the donations,” says Poe.
The Mississippi River is the largest river in North America, and the fifth largest in the world by volume.
“I never realized how much business was being conducted on the Mississippi River,” says Poe, as he told stories of dodging pilot boats, barges, and even ocean liners toward the mouth of the river.
The canoers finally pulled out their canoe at Venice, Louisiana -- and shook hands with fishermen.
“This trip reinforced my belief in the need for protection,” says Walls, whose degree is in environmental economics and policy. “When you experience something like this river, you learn to love it, and when you love it you want to protect it.”
The college grads raised $4,700 for the foundation. After spending 54 days on the mighty Mississippi, they pulled out their canoe in Venice, Louisiana, and finally shook hands with the fishermen they’d been rowing for, who greeted them on the dock.
After two months of eating the same lunch — pouched tuna, pepperoni and hot sauce on a tortilla — the pair was ecstatic to eat some Louisiana seafood.
Says Walls, “You can’t beat fried Gulf shrimp!”
Category: News
