Rowing 400 Miles For Men's Cancer Awareness

[Zack Hoyt]

Ken Richards launched his drift boat at Ft smith today starting the first leg of his 400 mile trip. Here is the first news story for the from the event. I will be updating with more news stories and blog updates as his trip proceeds.

http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-rv-reel-recovery,0,6796411.story

[Zack Hoyt]

Cancer survivor to row 300 miles

Arkansas River voyage a fundraiser for therapeutic retreats

By Bill Bowden

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Print item

FORT SMITH — A 55-year-old cancer survivor set off Saturday on a 300-mile float trip across Arkansas.

Ken Richards of Bentonville left downtown Fort Smith in a drift boat at 12:30 p.m. on the Arkansas River. He plans to reach the Mississippi River near Dumas around April 8. He’ll camp at state parks and on riverbanks along the way.

Richards is floating across Arkansas to help raise money for Reel Recovery, a national nonprofit organization that conducts free fly-fishing retreats for men with lifethreatening forms of cancer.

“On a high river like this, logs can be a problem,” he said before launching his boat Saturday.

The river was moving at about 100,000 cubic feet per second. Normal flow is 40,000-50,000 cubic feet per second, Richards said.

“This is a big, moving lake,” he said of the Arkansas River.

Richards, who was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and throat in 2005, has been the Mid-South coordinator for Reel Recovery for the past two years. His territory includes Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and parts of Tennessee and Kansas.

He is raising money, in particular, for two fly-fishing retreats in Arkansas. One will be April 19-21 at Spring Valley Anglers on Spavinaw Creek near Gravette, and the other Oct. 19-21 at Cedarwood Lodge on the White River near Flippin.

Richards said the retreats cost about $700 per person to conduct, and they like to have 10-15 participants at each one. So he’s trying to raise money to help pay for them.

About $8,000 has been raised so far through a variety of events. The float trip across Arkansas had generated about $2,400 in pledges as of noon Saturday. Richards has also received 13 backpacker meals from the Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville and a pledge of one fly per mile from some local fly tiers.

“Flies are expensive,” he said. They can be used by the men who are fly fishing at the retreats.

Anyone wishing to donate to Reel Recovery, nationally or for the Arkansas retreats in particular, can do so through the organization’s Web site at reelrecovery.org. Donors should specify that the gift is for the Arkansas retreats if that’s where they want the money to go.

Two friends and Richards’ business partner floated with him Saturday, but the other three planned to stop at the end of the day at Fort Smith Park and let Richards continue the trip downriver.

Kevin Calhoun of Fayetteville is Richards’ business partner in Just Fishin’ Guides of Bentonville. They provide a fishing-guide service on the White River, the Little Red River and lakes Taneycomo, Bull Shoals and Norfork.

Dave Caravella of Branson West, Mo., and Al Crider of Siloam Springs were the friends who floated with Richards on Saturday.

Caravella, 46, has testicular cancer that is now in remission. He attended a retreat last year and decided to volunteer this year as a photographer for the Arkansasretreats.

“I found it to be very valuable,” Caravella said. “No three-day event can take away all the baggage ... but it opens up the door. I felt so moved by it, I wanted to be involved in it.”

Caravella said a counselor is provided for each retreat, who helps the men deal with their cancer diagnosis. Men tend not to discuss such things, Caravella said.

Fort Smith Mayor Ray Baker declared March 27 as Ken Richards Day in Fort Smith and gave the honoree a “Key to the Frontier.” Baker also tossed rose petals on the group before they rowed out to the middle of the river and started their journey.

At Arkansas Post near the end of his trip, Richards said, he’ll take the White River to the Mississippi, reaching the big river near Dumas.

Then Richards will travel by vehicle to Tulsa. He’ll float from there 130 milesdown the Arkansas River to Fort Smith on the last leg of what will be a 430-mile total journey.

Richards is doing the Tulsa-to-Fort Smith part last because he didn’t know if enough water would be released into the river from Keystone Lake west of Tulsa. The chance for more water will be greater in a couple of weeks, he said.

“Otherwise, it’s about a quarter-mile over mud flats to get to the water,” Richards said.

Richards said he hopes to do the final leg in about four days.

Richards said he may do some fishing along the way across Arkansas, but he doesn’t eat the fish he catches.

“I hate cleaning them,” he said.

Richards is taking a laptop computer and camera so he can post updates along the way. His Drifter’s Blog postscan be read at justfishinguides.wordpress.com.

Last year, Richards and Calhoun floated 197 miles along the Buffalo and Kings rivers in north Arkansas, raising about $10,000 for Reel Recovery.

Originally from Washington state, Richards worked in a Wal-Mart photo-developing center in Bentonville from 1987 to 1999, before becoming a full-time fishing guide.

He was diagnosed in 2008 with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and throat. Richards said he didn’t smoke or drink.

He has lost his sense of smell, but otherwise he seems healthy.

“I’m as recovered as I’m going to be,” he said just before rowing off on the 300-mile trip.

There is a fly-fishing organization for women who have had breast cancer. It’s called Casting for Recovery. It is not affiliated with Reel Recovery.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 17 on 03/28/2010

[Liv2flyfish]

I would like to wish Ken a safe and successful voyage. He has to be a brave sailor to float these high waters. Thanks Zack, for keeping us up to date on Kens trip.

If you are interested. We have an interview with Ken about his trip on Liv2flyfish Radio www.liv2flyfish.com .