Whitewater Forum: Team River Runner report

Team River Runner report

Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6352
Printed Date: 13 Aug 2025 at 10:32pm

Topic: Team River Runner report

Posted By: Willy
Subject: Team River Runner report
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 10:38am

If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer with Team River Runner (TRR), you’ll be glad you did. You don’t need to be a top-notch paddler or even a paddler at all. We need you, and our wounded vets need you, no matter what you can do. Contact Idamay Curtis for more information at idamayc@mac.com or (206) 218 7988.

The local boating community should be proud of the great turnout at the initial weekend planning and training sessions for Team River Runner’s new Seattle site. TRR was founded in 2004 by Washington DC-area kayakers to help veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center find health, healing, and new challenges through whitewater boating. The program has expanded to Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country, and includes wounded veterans of all our nation’s conflicts, and their families.

Two dozen local boaters, community members, and VA staff showed up at Seattle’s VA Hospital on Saturday for four hours of discussion about how to organize a local chapter, how to work with vets, and what to expect regarding common injuries to soldiers returning to civilian life. The program was headed up by Joe Mornini, Executive Director of TRR from Washington DC, who was very impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the volunteers and VA staff. He sees tremendous potential for our program here in Seattle.

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Eddyline, Stohlquist, Bending Branches, Esquif, Skwoosh Cushions, Costa Del Mar shades, Danuu, CRG Rec Repair, Pakboats, YakGrips
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Replies:

Posted By: PowWrangler
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 1:03pm

Awesome.

Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 2:06pm

It was a great time on Monday. All the vets were very upbeat and really wanted to learn. Everyone else just fed off of that which made for a really inspiring time. Support the troops.

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"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman

Posted By: slickhorn
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 2:14pm

I've really respected this program since I first heard about several years ago.

Would there be a role for an inflatable boater or rafter? I'd like to open this up to the WRRR folks. Won't be much help in roll-lessons in the pool, but perhaps for some injuries different boats may be useful? Or more safety boaters at the least?

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Posted By: Willy
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 2:30pm

Brian -

I got designated as the PR guy, that way I don't end up teaching, which could be a bad thing, hehe ...

Anyway yes, there's a place for virtually any kind of craft. As we build a group of vets with various conditions to deal with, plus their families getting involved, any paddler with skill on the river will be welcome to join in and help with any boat they bring along.

I was about to put up the same post as above on the wrrr yahoo group... all participation from that crew will be most welcome. Idamay is the volunteer coordinator, so just give her a call and let her know how you'd like to help out. OR if you have Monday afternoon open, just head for the pool. We had one IK there last Monday.

Thanks for the support - bw

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