Man Completes Canoe Portage Across Minnesota For Suicide Awareness
We told you earlier about a man who was carrying a canoe across the state of Minnesota to raise money for suicide awareness. He was spotted by local law enforcement carrying a canoe on the side of the road in Southwestern Minnesota. They were just curious as to what he was doing. They found out about his cause and felt very passionate about it as many people he has encountered along the way also have.
Evan Hansen had lost people close to him by suicide, so he decided to do something about it. His original plan was to portage a canoe the entire length of The Superior Hiking Trail, but wildfires caused him to change his route. He set off from the South Dakota border near Luverne and traveled all the way to Wisconsin. It took him 35 days and he carried that canoe 313 miles.
His goal was to raise awareness and funds for his Rochester Hometown NAMI fund. As of the writing of this article he has already raised $25,888 through his 4giving page.
People that donate also had the chance to have a loved one's name added to the canoe. Many of those names were of individuals who were lost to suicide. Along the journey, he added 645 names to the canoe.
His journey created quite a bit of attention as local news stations, organizations, and people on social media shared his story. His idea worked, as he raised money and got people talking about mental health. Many people have thanked him as they continue to grieve over the loss of their loved ones.
On his final day of the trek, he made it to Kinstone, Wisconsin after 35 days.
In his post, he describes that he did travel 313 miles which is the same as 100,000 rods. That's a measurement used for portaging between water areas. Evan posted nearly every day on his Facebook Page Portage For A Purpose. At the end of, it Evan still encourages people to donate. His goal is $100,000. After spending over a month on the road and updating his followers, he admits he feels a little lost now with it being over, but is proud of his journey and the awareness it has raised.
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