By Andrew Blok
After 80 miles and nearly 24 hours, three members of the nonprofit Stand Up for Great Lakes finished crossing Lake Erie on stand up paddleboards.
The end of their journey, in Sandusky, Ohio, marks the fourth time they’ve crossed one of the Great Lakes to raise money for Great Lake’s causes.
Four hours after the group landed in Sandusky, they had raised $14,425 for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at University of Michigan. The money will go to support the institute’s summer fellowship program or graduate students studying Great Lakes issues. Donation are still being accepted on the group’s website.
“That was tough,” the group said upon finishing, according to video on the Stand Up for Great Lakes Facebook page.
It wasn’t all bad, though. The Twitter feed of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, which sent representatives with the paddleboarders in a boat, shows a full moon, moments of calm waters and a finish under a sunny sky.
The group plans to cross Lake Ontario next year, said Kwin Morris, one of the paddleboarders. It’s the only Great Lake they haven’t crossed.