Kayak

Kayak

A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

 for a Cause is a non-profit kayaking fundraiser

Fundraiser

A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...

 that takes place annually on Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...

 on the eastern coast of the United States. A group of several-hundred kayakers cross the Sound from Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...

 to the north shore of Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

 and return as they raise money for local and national charities.

The current route for the crossing is 12.5 miles long and leaves from Calf Pasture Beach

Calf Pasture Beach

Calf Pasture Beach is an historically significant park and beach in East Norwalk, Connecticut along Long Island Sound.The area of the park lands is approximately ....

 in East Norwalk

East Norwalk

East Norwalk is a neighborhood located in Norwalk, Connecticut.The neighborhood is a culturally diverse, mostly middle-class section of the city, inhabited by many different ethnicities such as Greeks, Italians, Hispanics, African Americans, and long time "Connecticut Yankee" residents...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 and lands in Crab Meadow Park in Northport, New York

Northport, New York

Northport is a village in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 7,606. Students attend the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District....

. Depending on factors such as tides, current, and wind, the route can take an average paddler between two and four hours to complete.

To participate in the event, the organization requests that paddlers be "comfortable in very open waters", and in reasonably good shape. All first-time participants are required to attend a kayak safety course a few weeks before the launch.

Each year, the KFAC organization picks five charities in Connecticut and Long Island. In 2007, for instance, the charities were the Hole in the Wall Gang

Hole in the Wall Gang

The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang was a gang in the American Wild West, which took its name from the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, where several outlaw gangs had their hideouts. The Gang was not simply one large organized gang of outlaws, but rather was made up of several separate...

, Outward Bound of Connecticut, Cancer Care of Connecticut, Courage to Speak Foundation, a drug prevention organization for children; and Save the Sound, an environmental organization. Paddlers could pick one to sponsor in the past, however, due to the growth of the event over time, it has become more logistically feasible for the board to elect on how to split donations among the selected charities.

History

Kayak for a Cause was started by Scott Carlin and Miles Spencer

Miles Spencer

Miles Spencer is a prolific angel investor, media entrepreneur and explorer. He is best known for his role as co-host and co-creator of MoneyHunt, a reality based show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. MoneyHunt was distributed to PBS stations in the US beginning 1997...

 in Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...

 in August 2001. The pair were bet $50 to cross Long Island Sound in kayaks. They made it across (and back) and have yet to collect the $50 bet. Bragging about their accomplishment at a local bar, many of the patrons agreed that they would bet hundreds of dollars to see them do it again. They decided to decline the bets, but take the money and donate it to charity.

For the next two years they invited others on the annal trek and started raising funds for charities. In 2002 there were a total of eight participating paddlers and six news organizations covered the event, which also had a chase boat for safety.

In 2005, Nautica and GQ magazine approached Carlin and Spencer to suggest that the two companies become sponsors. Peter Hunsinger, vice president and publisher of GQ and a resident of nearby New Canaan, Connecticut

New Canaan, Connecticut

New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...

, participates in the event as a kayaker. Land Rover

Land Rover

Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...

 and other companies also joined in. Corporate sponsorship, with its organization and publicity, helped the event to grow in one year from 45 in 2005 to 178 paddlers in 2006.

, Kayak for a Cause raised more than half a million dollars for charity. The 2006 event had 303 participants which set a Guinness World Record for the most sea kayaks launched simultaneously. The last several years have included an after-party on Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, featuring a concert by big-name artists and a silent auction.
The 2007 event, had 313 participants and started at 7:30 a.m. on July 28, 2007, and was the first to use Veterans Park in East Norwalk

East Norwalk

East Norwalk is a neighborhood located in Norwalk, Connecticut.The neighborhood is a culturally diverse, mostly middle-class section of the city, inhabited by many different ethnicities such as Greeks, Italians, Hispanics, African Americans, and long time "Connecticut Yankee" residents...

 rather than Calf Pasture Beach

Calf Pasture Beach

Calf Pasture Beach is an historically significant park and beach in East Norwalk, Connecticut along Long Island Sound.The area of the park lands is approximately ....

. The move came at the suggestion of Norwalk city officials and it allowed for expansion of the event, especially the late-afternoon and evening beach party. In 2007, the Neville Brothers and Ryan Shaw

Ryan Shaw

Ryan Christopher Shaw is a soul musician from Georgia, USA.-Biography:Shaw began singing in Pentecostal church at the age of three, having been raised in a deeply religious household. Shaw won a spot in a gospel musical at Georgia State University, and in 1998 he dropped out of college to take...

 played at the charity carnival at the beach party. A total of 17 "pasta parties" were held in Fairfield County restaurants two nights before the event to bolster the participants.
‎In 2008 event returned to Calf Pasture Beach and featured the Wailers Band

Wailers Band

The Wailers Band are a reggae band formed by the remaining members of Bob Marley & The Wailers‎, following the death of Bob Marley in 1981.-Previous Wailers' incarnations:The Wailers‎ started as Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh...

.

In 2009, the direction of the paddle was reversed and the group launched from Crab Meadow Beach in Huntington, Long Island and landed in Norwalk.. Musical guests included Ryan Shaw and headliner Donavon Frankenreiter

Donavon Frankenreiter

Donavon Frankenreiter is an American musician and surfer. He is a long-time friend of Jack Johnson and his debut self-titled album was released in 2004 on Johnson's Brushfire Records through Universal Music and made the Australian ARIA Top-40 charts in April 2004.-Surfing career:He took up surfing...

.

In 2010, the organization celebrated its tenth year, having escorted over 1,600 paddlers across the sound, and recording over 20,000 donations. The Beach Party featured Dickey Betts

Dickey Betts

Forrest Richard "Dickey" Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won with the band a best rock performance Grammy Award for his...

& Great Southern. Charities that received support since inception include Save the Sound, Hole in the Wall Gang, Cancer Care, Outward Bound, Canine Companions, Builders Beyond Borders, Make a Wish, Courage to Speak, and Cardinal Sheehan Youth Center.