Kayak for Kids started in 1998, with Ryan Stutzman and Julio Torres leading a group of paddlers around St. Croix. Over the years, it grew into a community gathering for friends of Queen Louise Home to have a fun time together and show support.
Today, we want to highlight a few people who made the event special and share photos from 2004 until our last event in 2019.
Roland Parris: Maintenance
August will make 18 years since I started working at LSSVI, and I have been a part of Kayak for Kids since I can remember. We hauled kayaks, drinks, tables, and equipment every year from dawn until late afternoon, and it was a relief at the end of the day knowing everything went well.
Sometimes, I got to bring my little ones to play at the beach in the afternoon. It was fun because I got to meet so many interesting people. I was introduced to people from all over the island, which I would not normally run into, and got to have a great time interacting with them. Tourists even came straight off the plane to kayak with us. We worked hard, and we had fun, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it.
340 Misfits Motorcycle Club: Volunteer Heroes
We started the 340 Misfits Motorcycle Club in 2012 just to ride and have fun. We knew that some people in the community had a negative view of motorcycle riding because of the noise and stereotypes. So all the club members started looking for activities and causes to support the community, and Queen Louise Home for Children was on everyone’s mind.
We reached out to tour the home and rode our bikes to Queen Louise Home. All the children came out to see where the noise was coming from — and they were so mesmerized.
After the tour, everyone agreed that Queen Louise Home would become one of our main focuses. So we began to host small fundraisers in the community. Our first project was standing outside Cost-U-Less to solicit items from customers. At the end of the day, we had a truck full of stuff.
Since then, the club always comes together during the Kayak for Kids event in June to fundraise. We volunteer to help out however we can, and we bike together to the event to present our donation. Our club members love Queen Louise Home and always turn out to give.
We know the money we raise goes towards meeting the children’s needs, and it gives us a good feeling to give back. But, most of all, we are happy that the children benefit from it.
Kayak for Kids has brought so many new faces and friends to Queen Lousie Home for Children, and all of this love was possible because of you. Thank you for good times and great support over the years, and we look forward to the day we can see you here again. ♥
