A retired teacher from Michigan set out to canoe the Manistee River in an effort to raise funds for local students’ outdoor education trips.
Grandin Smith, 81, paddled nearly 230 miles from east of Mancelona, Michigan, all the way to Lake Michigan. Before setting out on the trip, Smith told 9&10 News he expected the trip would be around 150 miles.
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“Education is all about at least giving it a try and figuring out how to make it work,” Smith said.
Smith used his journey to raise money to help send local sixth graders to Rotary Camp, where they can learn about the outdoors.
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“It feels good. There was never a moment that I didn’t enjoy being on the river. It was a fantastic trip,” Smith said. “There is an abundance of wildlife that if you’re not there to see it, you don’t realize how rich a resource is just for its pleasure.”
Smith reportedly raised around $4,300. He took six days to complete the voyage.
