PHOTO COURTESY OF STAND UP FOR GREAT LAKES
Jeff Guy, Joe Lorenz and Kwin Morris will cross Lake Ontario on stand-up paddleboards this June in a 24-hour, 65-mile round-trip journey from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake and back. The trio has traversed Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Erie over the past seven years in their quest to raise money for and bring awareness to environmental issues facing the Great Lakes.
“Our overall goal is to bring awareness to Great Lakes issues,” Guy says. “Right now microplastics are infiltrating the lakes and fish and people are ingesting them. It’s one of the biggest issues of our day. The problem is the plastic is so small you cannot see it in many cases. Our hope is that people will join us in helping our cause by donating to our organization.”
The group plans to raise $25,000 in this journey across Lake Ontario, all of which will be donated to the trio’s non-profit Stand Up For Great Lakes, which has raised over $80,000 for various Great Lakes non-profit organizations. This year’s funds will go to protect the Great Lakes Basin.
Each man will carry his supplies on his SUP, including food, clothing and straws to filter drinking water from the lake. Throughout their journey, they will traverse international waters, passing freighters over 800 feet and facing multiple dangers including exhaustion, hypothermia and headwinds. The trio will be escorted by two safety boats along the journey.
For more information or to make a donation, visit StandUpForGreatLakes.com and follow the team on Facebook.com/StandUpForGreatLakes and on Instagram.com/StandUpForGreatLakes. You can watch the award-winning documentary about their Lake Superior Crossing here and Crossing Lake Erie here.
