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By Jeff Wilson<\/p>\n
Rising waters on the Mississippi River won\u2019t stop Greg Nejmanwoski, but they may slow him down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some closures to all recreational boating along some of the sections of the Mississippi,\u201d he said via email on June 5. \u201cFingers crossed, I\u2019m hoping they will be lifted as I approach in the later days of June. If there are sections of the river closed by the time I paddle to them, I\u2019ll wait it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nejmanowski is canoeing the entire length of the Mississippi to raise funds for Touch of Nature\u2019s Veteran Adventures program and bring awareness to other issues that affect veterans.<\/p>\n
Donations can be made by visiting the Paddle for Patriots SalukiFunder page at https:\/\/salukifunder.siu.edu\/project\/15565<\/a>.<\/p>\n As of June 5, his expedition down the Mississippi River had taken him a good distance through Minnesota. The 2,300-mile trip down the mighty Mississippi began in Itasca State Park in Minnesota and will end in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project has been my baby,\u201d said Nejmanowski, an SIU alumnus, Touch of Nature graduate assistant and Veteran Adventures coordinator. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely been a lot of work, but I think it\u2019ll be worth it and then some.\u201d<\/p>\n There are two planned events happening along the way, floodwaters permitting.<\/p>\n The first will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 6 at The Loading Dock in Grafton, just north of St. Louis. There will be food and drink for sale and raffles, including a free chance at a Discovery Flight, which allows participants to briefly take the controls of an in-flight airplane.<\/p>\n The second will be from noon to 3 p.m. July 13 at Devil\u2019s Backbone Park. The same raffle opportunities will be available.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no back-up plans for the two events if they don\u2019t happen because of water issues,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a potential for pushing them back, but I\u2019m not too sure about that yet.\u201d<\/p>\n According a 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 20 veterans die each day from suicide. That\u2019s approximately double the suicide rate of non-veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all know from anecdotal evidence how going outside can help you,\u201d Nejmanowski said. \u201cI feel like sometimes medicine has advanced and progressed so far that we have left nature — some of the best medicine in the world — behind.\u201d<\/p>\n To get involved or support the trip directly, send an email to paddle4patriots@gmail.com<\/a>. To learn more about Veteran Adventures visit, ton.siu.edu\/program-areas\/veteran-adventures<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jeff Wilson Rising waters on the Mississippi River won\u2019t stop Greg Nejmanwoski, but they may slow him down. \u201cThere are some closures to all recreational boating along some of the sections of the Mississippi,\u201d he said via email on June 5. \u201cFingers crossed, I\u2019m hoping they will be lifted as I approach in the … Continue reading 150 Stories of Philanthropy: Heck or high water: Philanthropic canoer will persevere<\/span> ![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blog2-169x300.jpg\")
Veteran Adventures offers outdoor activities to post-9\/11 veterans, including hunting, hiking, backpacking trips, whitewater rafting and more. The program is funded through grants and private donations, and it just recently lost a large state grant.<\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/blog3-225x300.jpg\")
Nejmanowski hopes he can raise awareness not only of Veteran Adventures, but of the needs to veterans everywhere, including the scourge of veteran suicides.<\/p>\n