SNOW HILL — Friends of the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund will gather for the 10th Annual Jesse’s Paddle on Saturday, July 21 at the Pocomoke River Canoe Company in Snow Hill.
Registration begins at 4 p.m. and boats will hit the water by 5 p.m. Support raised at the paddle funds the annual Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship as well as the nonprofit’s suicide prevention outreach mission.
“There will be free canoes, kayaks and paddleboards for those who raise more than $40 to participate in ‘Jesse’s Poker Paddle,’” said Jesse Klump Memorial Foundation (JKMF) President Kim Klump. “While our missions are very serious, this is a day of fun and celebration, and we expect to put more than 50 boats on the Pocomoke River. Snow Hill’s ‘King of Rock and Roll’ Nick Haglich will provide the music with other great Snow Hill musicians joining him. There will be a great silent auction, food and beverages, all for important causes.”
Prizes for top fundraisers include nights in Ocean City and a luxury pontoon boat cruise for 10 guests on the Pocomoke. There are also prizes for those holding the best hands in the Poker Paddle.
Founded in 2009, the JKMF provided a $15,000 scholarship to a Snow Hill High School graduate in the class of 2018.
“Funds from the Paddle are key to our ability to support a significant scholarship,” said Fund officer Ron Pilling. “Since 2009 we have granted over $100,000 in scholarships, and last year we added a program to offer grants to educators and mental health professionals to augment our work in suicide prevention.”
The Jesse Klump Suicide Awareness & Prevention Program travels across the lower Eastern Shore teaching the recognition of suicide’s risk factors and warning signs, with the goal of reducing the historically-high suicide rates in our communities.
“A successful Paddle enables us to offer every training, and all our educational material at absolutely no cost,” Pilling said.
Supporters can create their own fundraising pages or pledge on the behalf of others who have goals set on the website, by visiting http://jessespaddle.donorpages.com/JessesPaddle2018. For those who prefer to gather pledges other than online, the JKMF will provide paper Pledge Forms. For forms, or for information, call 443-982-2716 or email to [email protected].
Canoes, solo or two-person kayaks, or standup paddleboards must be reserved in advance for Jesse’s Poker Paddle. Paddlers must raise a minimum of $40 for a free boat for the event. To reserve your boat, call the Pocomoke River Canoe Company at 410-632-3971.