110 Youth Everyday Philanthropists

The other week my three girls participated in the 6th Annual Keiki Paddle.  The Keiki Paddle consists of children between the ages of 7-16 paddling in an open ocean paddle to provide financial and emotional support to both a child with a life threatening illness and a nonprofit that supprts children with a life threatening illness. 

What continues to stick with me these last few weeks, is that this event is over 100 everyday kids participating in philanthropy and what's more, the event was started by everyday dads. 

The Keiki Paddle is an offshoot of the Friendship Paddle, which was founded over 10 years ago when a group of ocean loving guys wanted to do something to show support for their 39 year old friend battling cancer.  The Keiki Paddle was started several years later because many of the children, seeing their Dad's paddle in the Friendship Paddle, wanted to participate.

Additionally, the Dad's wanted to instill the fundamental concept of giving back to your community and having a little fun while doing it. They have even taken it a step further and have created a junior advisory board so kids can also get experience organizing and running an event.  These everyday kids have raised approximately $100,000 since the event began.

So what started out as everyday dad's wanting to do something to show love and support to their friend has impacted hundreds of other everyday dads and children who have participated in both the Friendship Paddle and the Keiki Paddle over the years. They have also provided financial and emotional support to almost 20 beneficiaries both adults and kids with life threatening illness and to multiple nonprofit agencies that support these families.

This year's beneficiaries of the Kieki paddle were 7 year old Samuel Helfand and the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation.  Click here to support this year's paddle.  

You can also hear more about the Keiki Paddle on this NPR story including hearing from teens Tavis Boise and Chase McFadden who both had parents who were beneficiaries of the Friendship Paddle.  They carry on the memory of their parent by being key organizers of the Keiki Paddle.

This is an example of everyday people being philanthropist at it's best!

Two Great Organizations by Kids

Kids are doing amazing things to help our local and world community.  Here are just two examples:

Hands4Others (H40)

 

This non-profit was started by four teenagers to help provide safe drinking water in poverty stricken areas.   They are well toward their goal of helping more than two million people in 500 villages around the world by 2015 have safe drinking water. 

I saw the founding members speak at the benefit film premiere of "Leave a Message" and was very impressed with these young community members. 

I was haunted by a couple of shocking statistics:

- The world community would be outraged if 20 airplanes carrying 300 people crashed everyday, but yet that is the number of people dying from lack of clean drinking water a day.

- A child dies every 15 seconds from lack of clean drinking water, probably the amount of time you've been reading about H40.  A $10 donation saves one child.



Keiki Paddle 

This is a non-profit my husband and children are involved with.  Although, I support them, I can't take credit for the amazing work done by these fathers and children.  

The Keiki Paddle was started by Dad's who had been participating in the Friendship Paddle for years and wanted a way to allow their children to experience the gift of helping others and to witness firsthand the power of community spirit and support.

Now in it's fourth year, The Keiki Paddle consists of 120+ children between the ages of 7 and 16 that will do a 10 mile relay paddle on Sunday July 24th to provided financial and emotional support for a child with a life threatening illness and a non-profit organization that helps children in Santa Barbara County.

This year's beneficiaries are six year old Ashley Vasquez-Castro, who is fighting Leukemia, and The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara's "I Count Too" Program.

This grassroots event is endearing on many levels:

• It was founded by father's.  
• It shares their passion of the ocean with their children to benefit someone in need
• Although the paddling participants are the kids, it's a father/child event as many Dad's are the support boat captains and boat crew
• It teaches children about philanthropy.  Not only must each child raise a minimum of $100, but there is now a Jr. Advisory Board which helps organize and make decisions about the event.
• It bring together the power and spirit of community. 

To learn more about the Keiki Paddle or to donate to this year's paddle  click here.