WHAT IS BAY PADDLE? The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure. Bay Paddle's mission is to help protect it by working with Oyster Recovery Partnership to plant more oysters (a goal of  planting 200 million oysters) and Chesapeake Conservancy to support their efforts to designate the Bay as a National Park.

WHY NICKY'S DOING THIS: The Bay Paddle's primary purpose is to raise funds (and awareness) in support of the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Chesapeake Conservancy. Chesapeake Light Craft is proud to support her commitment.

DID YOU KNOW? A single, healthy adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day! Everyone benefits from a healthy Chesapeake Bay. Poor water quality and declining habitats can be reversed. Oysters are the answer! The Oyster Recovery Partnership and Chesapeake Conservancy are dedicated to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay.

     

Check out this great video from our friends at Chesapeake Bay Media:

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Last year, Chris Hopkinson made history -- and raised nearly $200,000 in support of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Partnership -- by becoming the first person to paddle a stand-up paddleboard the length of the Chesapeake Bay, from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to the Atlantic Ocean off Norfolk, Virginia.

Now Chris wants to make this charity event more accessible to other paddlers by offering an opportunity for individuals to paddle solo or join a relay team. CLC's own Nicky Stimpson has decided to go the more difficult route and paddle the bay solo. CLC is going to supply Nicky with a support boat and crew while she paddles her 14' Kaholo during the epic journey.

The Bay Paddle 2021 adventure will be staged over an 8-day span, between August 27 and September 3, 2021.

Watch for more information on how to follow Nicky virtually as well as how to join her during certain legs of the 215-mile trip -- and how to support the paddlers' efforts to raise funds for the Oyster Recovery Partnership and Chesapeake Conservancy, in support of a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay.

Nicky's goal for this event is $25,000 and she needs your help! All proceeds will benefit the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Chesapeake Conservancy through Bay Paddle, Inc., a 501(c)(3) and donations are tax-deductible. The bay continues to struggle; together we can make a difference. 

Meantime, check out the Bay Paddle website and the PBS documentary on Chris' 2020 effort, "Power of the Paddle."

Watch the video about Chris Hopkinson's 2020 effort!