See Wilmington from a perspective you have never experienced and get a taste of incredible community with the staff and friends of UrbanPromise Wilmington at our annual Paddle for Promise fundraiser!
Paddle for Promise is returning to Wilmington on Saturday, July 17th!
We’re inviting staff, volunteers, friends, and family to paddle 7 miles (approx. 2 hours) down the Christina River, finishing in downtown Wilmington.
We will provide transportation to the launch site, canoes or kayaks, and point you in the right direction! Join 150 other paddlers as we seek to reach this year’s fundraising goal of $150,000!
Click for drone footage from a prior year!
Why do we Paddle?
- We paddle to raise funds for the UrbanPromise StreetLeader® program – our leadership development program that is the largest employer of youth year around in the City of Wilmington.
- The StreetLeader Program is making a difference in the lives of teens in the city by offering job training, leadership development, tutoring, employment, mentoring and college prep.
- Our StreetLeaders have the opportunity to gain a sense of confidence, independence, responsibility, accountability, understanding how to work with different people, how to be a part of a team, improved communication skills and step into roles that can be challenging. They are able to develop useful skills such as preparation, time management, healthy work habits and conflict resolution.
Our children look up to the StreetLeaders, who play a pivotal role in our summer camps and beyond.
- UrbanPromise provides free summer camps for more than 600 kids ranging from 1st through 8th grade attending six camps across the city.
- The summer camps run for six weeks and offer educational enrichment, Bible lessons, recreation and more.
Friendly Competition:
While we build community and raise funds together, there’s also friendly competition:
1. Fastest time for a canoe and kayak
2. Most funds raised by an individual or a team
LOGISTICS:
When:
Sat. July 17th, 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (depending on your launch time; expect the paddle to take about 2 hours depending on your speed)
Where:
We encourage our paddlers to park at the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association (WYRA) at 500 E Front St, Wilmington, DE 19801.
A bus will drop you off at the launch point and you’ll paddle back to WYRA.
How:
Registration is free – Fundraising toolkit provided. Individuals and Churches are welcome to enter multiple boats and help spread the fun!
We provide the canoes or kayaks – Bring your own if you prefer
Masks and Social Distancing Required as appropriate