SNOW HILL — After a year’s hiatus, friends of the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund (JKMF) will gather for the 13th Annual Jesse’s Paddle on Saturday, Sept. 18 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 nonprofit’s suicide prevention outreach mission, mental health education programs, and grants for community needs.
“There will be free canoes and kayaks for those who raise more than $30 to participate in Jesse’s Poker Paddle,” said JKMF President Kim Klump. “While our missions are very serious, this is a day of fun and celebration, and we expect to put dozens of boats on the Pocomoke River. We will observe all CDC and State of Maryland COVID-19 guidance. Masks will be required except while our guests are in boats, and we’ll be asking our guests to observe social distancing guidelines. There will be masks for those who don’t have them and plenty of hand sanitizing stations.”
Top fundraisers will be rewarded with prizes. There are also prizes for those holding the best hands in the Jesse’s Poker Paddle, plus live music, free hot dogs and beverages. A surfboard-style standup paddleboard is the Paddle’s raffle boat, and there will be a silent auction. Raffle tickets are already available at www.jessespaddle.org/paddle, and the silent auction is receiving bids at the same website address.
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 local communities.
“A successful paddle enables us to offer all training, and all our educational material at absolutely no cost,” Fund officer Ron Pilling said. “Every penny raised at the Paddle is devoted to ending the risk of suicide, making our school programs possible to save young lives, and enabling folks with great ideas to address unmet community needs.”
Supporters can make donations for by visiting www.jessespaddle.org/paddle and clicking “Our Donor Form.” Generous donors can create their own fundraising teams, support an existing team, or make a general donation. Donations will be welcome at the Paddle, and all gifts count towards the $30 minimum for a free boat for the Poker Paddle.
Canoes, and solo or two-person kayaks can be reserved in advance for Jesse’s Poker Paddle. To reserve your boat, call the Pocomoke River Canoe Company at 410-632-3971.