PHOTO COURTESY OF STAND UP FOR THE GREAT LAKES FACEBOOK
Three men from Northern Michigan are ready to complete their goal of crossing all five Great Lakes on a stand-up paddleboard, with their Lake Ontario voyage scheduled for June 7-14. Over the last eight years, Jeff Guy, Kwin Morris and Joe Lorenz have crossed Lakes Michigan (in 2015), Huron (2017), Superior (2018) and Erie (2019).
The crossings started as a challenge but have since morphed into the trio launching their own nonprofit — Stand Up for Great Lakes — and raising tens of thousands of dollars for nonprofits helping the Great Lakes. The money raised from this year’s crossing is going to Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research to support its work protecting Lake Ontario from coastal flooding and water level issues. In the past, the trio has raised $10,000 for the Alliance for the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan), $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Lake Huron), $15,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Lake Superior), and $16,000 for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (Lake Erie).
The 65-mile round-trip Lake Ontario journey is estimated to take 24 hours to complete. The trio will depart from Toronto, paddle across to Niagara-on-the-Lake/Fort Niagara in New York, and then return to Toronto.
For more info, visit standupforgreatlakes.com.
