Newtown Man

Kayaks For A Cause

By Nancy K. Crevier

Jayson Karp of Newtown will spend four hours on Saturday, July 29, seated in a kayak, fighting the waves, wind, thirst, exhaustion, and supertankers as he navigates a 13-mile stretch of Long Island Sound. As he makes his way, along with more than 300 other kayakers, from Calf’s Pasture in Norwalk to Huntington Station on Long Island, he will keep in mind the stories he has heard from cancer survivors and the charities his efforts will support through Kayak For A Cause.

Kayak For A Cause is in its sixth year of raising awareness and funds for charities chosen by the Carpe Paddlum corporation founded by Scott Carin of Rowayton and Miles Spencer of East Norwalk. The event evolved, said Mr Spencer, from two guys with a bet between them to a few “Type A personalities using their competitive nature to do some good,” to one that attracted kayakers from all over the region and that raised more than $250,000 last year.

“Nearly 90 percent of the money raised goes directly to the charities,” said Mr Spencer. The remaining money offsets ground and air support, 35 chase boats, police, safety clinic costs, and other costs directly related to the safety of the kayaking extravaganza. The event has attracted the support of national sponsors, as well. This year, Kayak For A Cause is sponsored by Nautica, GQ, Bass, Land Rover, Old Town Canoe and Kayaks, and Stolichnaya.

The fundraiser, stressed Mr Spencer, is about having fun and helping others, not about being first to finish. Both of the founders participate in Kayak For A Cause each year.

“We long ago promised ourselves that the day the event got so complicated we couldn’t paddle, we would quit,” said the event’s co-creator.

A skillful and hardworking committee has not forced them to make good on that promise yet, however. Carpe Paddlum is actually involved in other action adventures, including a similar kayak event in San Francisco this fall and a 1,200-mile hike through the Saudi Desert last year to aide Middle Eastern children.

The committee, Mr Spencer said, selects charities by considering suggestions submitted to them. Usually, the charities selected to receive portions of the money raised have some kind of environmental connection and are chosen based on merit. This year The Hole In The Wall Gang, Courage To Speak, Cardinal Shehan Center, Save the Sound, Cancer Care, and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut will benefit from the efforts of those who take part in or donate to Kayak For A Cause.

 “There are a lot of people who are touched by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, especially children. I have a grandmother and some close friends who have dealt with cancer in their lives, so this was a chance to support these great charities. That’s what made it work for me,” said Mr Karp.

Taking part in Kayak For A Cause is a bit of a push for Mr Karp. He took up kayaking only six years ago when he moved to town, to take advantage of nearby Lake Lillinonah. Little did he know he was paddling into a hobby that would challenge him physically and mentally.

“I had bought a 16-foot sea kayak, which is a high-performance, touring type of kayak, and wanted to take it out on the ocean,” he recalled in a recent interview. “I didn’t want to try that alone, though, so I just went out on Lake Lillinonah.”

Then he saw the ad in GQ Magazine in early 2005 that would change everything. A kayaking event, practically in his own backyard, was scheduled for the summer of 2005 out of Norwalk. Not a race, Kayak For A Cause was an opportunity not only to put his kayak into the open waters of Long Island Sound, but to support charities as well.

With the backing of his wife, Dawn, and his children, Kelsey, 12, Quinn, 8, and Sage, 5, Mr Karp decided to sign up for the 13-mile paddle across Long Island Sound — even though he had never paddled anywhere near that far. A sales associate for point of purchase displays with Innomark Communications, based out of Ohio, and a strictly recreational boater, Mr Karp was not even sure he would have the stamina to complete the event.

“It was not easy,” he said. “There are no tides and currents on lakes. On the ocean, the weather is variable. It was a little windy last year, so there were some pretty high waves.” Having taken a safety certification course required by Kayak For A Cause, Mr Karp felt confident that he could self-rescue if need be, “But I didn’t want to be the first one in my pod to capsize,” he said.

The kayakers travel in “pods,” groups of approximately 12 kayakers with a pod leader who keeps in touch with the chase boats that follow. Each pod is launched from the starting point at several minute intervals and it is the leader’s job to make sure the pod stays together as they travel. It is an event that is watched on land and sea and air, as news media and helicopters track the progress of the kayakers.

Not only do the kayakers need to maneuver swamping waves and the tug of currents, the event crosses shipping lanes, putting the small craft operators side by side with skyscraper-sized ships.

“The chase boats keep an eye out for the large ships,” explained Mr Karp, “and convey that information to the pod leader, who passes it on to the rest of the pod.” Last year, he said, his pod encountered none of the supertankers. “All you can do … is paddle like crazy and stay out of their way. They’re so big, they really can’t see you. The chase boats do a good job of letting the shippers know about us, though,” he said.

The currents and winds proved to be a huge challenge for Mr Karp last year, and there were moments, he admitted, when he was not sure he could finish. His two-liter water pack had warmed as the sun beat down on his back. “It wasn’t very good by the time I got near shore. It was tough going. I thought about all of the stories I had heard and got the inspiration to finish.”

Even while exhausted, Mr Karp knew he would return this year. The exhilaration of success and knowing that he had been a part of raising more than $250,000 for charities was a powerful draw.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “Kayaking takes you back to nature, takes you away from the everyday stresses. And knowing that you’re helping ‘fight the fight,’ for me, it’s extremely rewarding.”

What would be even more fun, though, said Mr Karp, is a Newtown pod for 2007 Kayak For A Cause. As soon as he recovers from the July 29 paddle-athon, he would like to get going on the creation of such a group, made up of other Newtown residents who enjoy kayaking and want to make a difference. Interested kayakers can call Mr Karp at 270-7235.

Tax deductible, online donations for this year’s event can be made at KayakForACause.com. Click on Sponsor Participant and type in Jayson Karp. This ensures that the donation will be credited to him. Checks can also be mailed directly to Mr Karp at 127 Hanover Road, Newtown CT 06470.

“Last year I raised $1,500 and I am hoping this year to top that,” said Mr Karp.