Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake (Fort Niagara) and Back to Toronto. The 65 Mile Round Trip Journey will Take 24 Hours
Group Plans to Raise $25,000 for Great Lakes Environmental Issues
Toronto, ON—Three men will cross Lake Ontario on Stand-Up Paddleboards this June. Jeff Guy, Joe Lorenz and Kwin Morris have already successfully paddled Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior and Lake Erie. Lake Ontario represents their final journey across all five Great Lakes and is the culmination of a seven-year quest.
The trio will traverse international waters passing by 800+ foot freighters and other boat traffic, all in an effort to raise awareness of Great Lakes environmental issues. "We'll begin our adventure from the shoreline of Toronto and touch the shore near Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Niagara in New York and then paddle back to Toronto," says Kwin Morris. The 65-mile round trip is expected to take about 24 hours.
"We can handle two-to-three-foot waves," says Joe Lorenz. "If we could summon ideal conditions we'd want five knot tailwinds…both directions! The worst is a headwind, and crosswinds over ten knots can be sketchy too."
Their first crossing was Lake Michigan in 2015, a 60 mile and just under 25-hour journey in 38-degree water. They raised $10,000 for the Great Lakes Alliance. In June 2017 they crossed Lake Huron and raised $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Their 90-mile paddle journey took over 28 hours to complete. In 2018 they paddled across Lake Superior in 21 hours. Their 60-mile trip began at Sinclair Cove, Ontario and ended at Whitefish Point, Michigan and raised $15,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Their most recent trip across Lake Erie began in downtown Detroit's Belle Isle and ended on the shores of Catawba Island, Ohio and raised $16,000 for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR).
"Since travel to Canada was restricted due to COVID," says Morris, "we had to postpone this trip until 2022. In the meantime, we raised $21,000 on a paddleboard trip down the St. Mary's River from the Soo Locks to Drummond Island. We teamed up with three 8th grade students from Cherryland Middle School in Elk Rapids who joined us on the journey."
Guy, Morris and Lorenz founded a non-profit called Stand Up for Great Lakes. They have raised more than $80,000 for various Great Lakes non-profit organizations and have captured the imagination of many who have been inspired by their mission and support their cause.
This year, their goal is to raise $25,000. All funds will be donated to Stand Up For Great Lakes dedicated to protecting the Great Lakes Basin.
For more information or to make a donation, visit StandUpForGreatLakes.com and follow the team on Facebook.com/StandUpForGreatLakes and on Instagram.com/StandUpForGreatLakes
Watch the award-winning documentary about their Lake Superior Crossing here and Crossing Lake Erie here.
Each man carries all of his supplies on his own paddleboard: food, extra clothes, and straws that filter drinking water from the lake. There are many dangers they'll face, aside from hypothermia and fatigue. High winds can crop up, leading to big waves, and they will pass through shipping lanes in the dark. During one paddle they faced hail and rain and on another the headwinds were so strong they actually went backwards.
The group will be escorted by two safety boats with an emergency medical technician (EMT) on one. Each paddler will wear a dry suit and PFDs (personal flotation devices).
"Our overall goal is to bring awareness to great lakes issues," says Jeff Guy. "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," says Guy.
About Jeff Guy: Guy, 36, is a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch. He also enjoys golf, hockey and fishing. He lives in downtown Traverse City, MI.
About Joe Lorenz: Lorenz, 36, is a personal trainer in Traverse City. When he's not helping people achieve their fitness goals, he's up for almost anything involving water, travel, adventure and fitness.
About Kwin Morris: Morris, 35, was born and raised in northern Michigan, making him a keen waterman, traveler, and adventurer. He is a middle school science teacher in the Elk Rapids School District and the owner of Twin Birch Golf Club.
About Corey Adkins: Adkins, 51, is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Societies Communication and Content Director. Though he doesn't stand-up paddleboard, he has captured the guys' adventures across 3 of the 4 Great Lakes and 2 rivers, producing a series of 5 documentaries garnering him multiple awards including 2 Emmy's. Adkins lives in McBain with his wonderful wife, Stephanie who also helps produce these stories!
About Stand Up for Great Lakes: It began with a love of water. The group has crossed four of the five great lakes by stand-up paddleboard and has raised more than $80,000 to help raise awareness of the issues facing the Great Lakes. The lakes are under threat. Oil pipelines of questionable integrity, invasive species, sewage leakage, pharmaceutical pollution, agricultural runoff, and those who choose to throw beer cans and cigarette butts wherever they please, the list of threats to these majestic and vital bodies of water is endless. We're asking others to Stand Up for Great Lakes and provide support and encourage us on this important mission.
To donate visit https://standupforgreatlakes.com and click 'donate.'
Media Contact: To arrange an interview, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 248-705-2214. Reach Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist