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Merry Christmas and Happy New year and all the best to you and yours
The Paddlers for Parts would like to thank all for stopping by. We hope that we have had a small
influence in your life and that you consider your stop worth while.
I received the final head count for the New years eve swim and it was better than I thought.
I had estimated 150 and we had 174 people show up for the swim. This is a good number as it leaves room in the pool to play
around and have some fun. The pool will hold 264 swimmers but this is pretty crowded and not as much fun as when you can actually
move around and have some fun.
We hope that your year went as well has ours and we hope to see you all here again in the New Year.
Be safe, paddle hard and have fun. Cheers, Greg
New Years Eve Freeswim
The Paddlers would like to take a moment on the first day of a new decade and thank everyone that
made our 8th Annual New Years Eve swim such a success. Thanks very much to the folks that decided to come and play as without
you it is just a big, empty pool. The staff of the Ruth Inch Pool did as always a great job in running everything and everyone
went home safe and happy a big bonus. To our surprise benefactor Papa Jims Pizza, a big thank-you for the most welcome and
totally unexpected donation of pizza for the swimmers. To be sure this was a big hit and we apppreicate the thought. To the
folks at CJCD for the promotion of the event it was a great help. The Coffee Break News for the notice. Thanks to the folks
that put up with the flyers under their windshield wipers and anyone else that helped to promote our swim.
To those that expressed an interest in our cause and went home with Donor cards great, a single
signed card makes the whole event worth while and may even save a life.
The Paddlers look forward to seeing you all at our next event the Reel Paddling Film Festival which
takes place April 10th; 2010 at the Northern United Place.
In the meantime don't forget that the Banff mountain film festival takes place January 15th and 16th,
2010 hosted by Overlander Sports and Blachford Lake lodge, this is around year 18 or so for this event and it is very
popular. See you there, I have tickets for both nights.
New medical cards and Organ / Tissue donation cards
I was very pleased to receive my new NWT Medical card to day and even more surprised to find my Organ
and Tissue donation card inside the envelope. Please be sure to read the entire contents of the envelope when you receive
your new card. When this was first tried many folks missed the card and they were wasted.
The Paddlers for Parts have been passing out donation cards as well for almost 8 years now and the
cards are available at various locations around town, just pick one up and take her home.
Organ donor cards are one method of making folks aware of your wishes to donate and alert first responders
to the fact. Donation requires final conscent from your surviving family members or next of kin. It is very important that
you discuss your wishes with your family an be sure they understand your wish to donate. Once this has taken place, please
sign the cards and carry them with you at all times.
Due to the family final right of refusal in Canada up to 53 % of donated organs are lost due to the
family saying no at time of death. This is why it is so important that your family understand how much this means to you.
The Organ and Tissue doantion card is not as many think a legally binding document but rather a quick
heads up to responders and medical personal that you have expressed a desire to donate and they will contact the family and
request the donation and premission to harvest. Your surviving family has the right to refuse and it is important that you
know this. Of course we live in hope that they will honour your last wishes. One donor makes it is possible to assist as many
as eighty people, this is of course a case by case thing and depends on many things. Many folks think that they will
be to old to donate and this is not the case, the oldest donor on record was 87 at time of donation and the kidneys were in
good shape and are now giving someone their seoond life.
I received the gift of life from a cadaveric donor in April, 1997 and have since crossed Canada north
to south by bicycle and kayak raising funds and awareness for the Kidney Foundation of Northern Alberta and the Territories.
At the moment in Canada there are over 4,000 people awaiting organs and unfortunately some will die
before they are available. The average waiting time is two or more years and the list grow longer every day. Consider this
option very careful as "Life is the finest gift you have to offer and it is yours to freely give to one or many."
The Paddlers host a number of events every year where we give donor cards away and we consider each
event a total success if one person takes a donor card home, even a better if they take it home and sign it. We have
raised and spend a large sum of funds in the north promoting this and support the Paddlers Bursary Fund which we fund throught
the Edmonton office of the Kidney Foundation. We will continue to do this as long as we are able.
Transplants work and wether you know it or not, you probably know someone that is alive because of
one.
My birthday for my second chance at life would be April 27th; 1997 which makes me twelve in a sense.
I am forever gratefully to the family that made this and all that is connected with it possible. Their cost was great and
I try hard to make this gift possible for others. I am forever grateful as well to my plumber Dr. Gary Todd for the
excellent job he did and the really cool scar. The staff at the renal unit at the Uof A and the staff in and doctors in Yellowknife.
The people of Yellowknife have stepped up to the plate at every fund rasier and their continued support never ceases to amaze
me.
We of couse look forward at seeing many of them at the New Years Eve Free swim, compliments of the
Paddlers for Parts Association #1455. Live long, get wet, have fun and prosper.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. Only five months till open water and it will fly by. See you
on the water. Cheers, Greg
 
New Years Eve Free swim
Once again we have rumaged around the bottom of our bank account and have found enough funds to buy
you folks a 3 hour swim.
The Paddlers offered the first New Years Eve Free Swim on New Years Eve 2001. The response has always
been very good our record being 294 people partaking one night. That was a very crowded pool and we were glad hat folks decided
to attend. We like to be able to offer things of this nature as our way of thanking those that chose to support us. This year
the swim is as always at the Ruth Inch Memorial pool from 6PM until 9 PM. The City Firewoks usually kick off around
9 or 9:30 and things are timed so the swimmers can change and get out to see the fireworks.
Our Activities during the course of a regular year start (finish) with this swim followed by the
Spring Paddling film festival which we have hosted every year since 2002 . This event is well liked and we enjoy running it.
We expanded to include a 3 day paddle week-end called the "Paddlers Annual Sociable Affair", which takes place at the
Yellowknife River bridge each July sometime. This past September we hosted the second Annual World Rivers day which
is the last Sunday in September each year.
From a bicycle ride to raise funds for the Kidney Foundation of Northern Alberta and the Territories
we have snow balled and are a fairly busy group. seems we have paddled into a steep canyon and with no way out must
paddle it blind until the end.
None of this of course would be possible with out the support of locals that never seem to tire of
sticking their hands into their pockets for us. We of course will endeavour to see that they get their moneys worth by providing
as much as possible for them to do when the rivers and lakes are open and free. Thanks to everyone that supports either morally,
finanically or in spirit. Asante sana, Greg
Paddlers Mission Statement
The Paddlers are a group of concerned
folks intent on raising the issue of Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness across Canada and the globe. We act as a fund raising
group donating our oganizational income to the cause. Our secondary purpose is the promotion of the paddling sports of canoeing
and kayaking as an active and healthy life style. It is our belief that the large community of Paddlers, Hikers and Cyclists
can make a huge difference in the lives of those that live with Kidney Disease.
Please visit the link above and if your a paddler join the new site www.playak.net and start your
own page and group. This is a great way to meet like minded folks from around the globe.
Our newest member I met through this site.
The latest edition of the Paddlers Banner. This will be revised as new groups are added..
Donor Cards
The Paddles have just received the latest version of their Organ/Tissue Donation card and
are presently distributing them now. These cards are for interm use while we lobby for an Organ Donor Registry. We have
a petetion circulating at the moment for this and should you agree and see one at the locations around town please sign it.
Thanks Greg
Should you wish to use these cards you should do the following.
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Discuss your wishes with your family
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Sign the card
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Carry the signed card with you at all times
This is probably the most generous thing that you will ever do, so please consider this carefully
and make your choice.
There are a few things that you should be aware of when it comes to Donor cards.
The cards themselves are donated to the Kidney Foundation by Companies and Associations that wish to contribute to the program.
Cards in Yellowknife have been printed for the last few years by the Dailysis Unit at Stanton Hospital, a program made possible
by the efforts of Patty Woods, RN. Patty was a paddler but has moved to another province and we wish her well. We are graced
with her presence every now and then.
Should you or your organization wish to sponsor a printing please contact me through
the website and I will set that up Greg.
The Paddlers maintain locations around Yellowknife where you can just walk
in and pick up a card, we do our best to see that these locations are always stocked. I have just placed over a thousand
cards under wind shield wipers around town and hope that I got you and that you have decided to use the card for its intended
purpose. We are always looking for new locations for coin boxes and cards so if your interested let us know. We have turned
in 2,427.75 dollars since Halloween 2006 through the coin boxes (about 19
months worth of collecting and rolling coins.) . We are averaging over 100.00 dollars per month from the coin boxes, not bad
for a small town.
During the last four years our efforts combined with the government mail out have
resulted in roughly 50,000 donor cards being distributed across the Territories. There is really no way for us to be sure
who received theirs so we will continue to keep the locations stocked and send them to the out laying communities as we can.
Once the cards have been made available we hope that you use them, but that is up to you and your family. There are thousands
waiting for Organs and many will die this year so every signed card is a possible which is all anyone can ask. A list of locations
you will find just a little further down the page so keep scrolling. I will see about getting this published locally in the
near future, so check the local paper. Consider donation and if you and your family agree, Please sign the card
CARD LOCATIONS In Yellowknife
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Sutherland Drugs perscription counter
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Harleys Shirt shack
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Choice Video
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Weaver and Devores counter
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Receptionist Main Desk Stanton Hospital
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Eldonns Jewelery
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Overlander Sports.
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Shick Chicks
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Yellowknife Public Library
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Yellowknife Public Health Building 1st. floor
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Linco's Pottery Nook, Franklin Avenue
The Why behind our group
Here are some facts that you, like most folks probably are unaware of,but they are why we do what we
do.
- One persons organs and tissues can help up to 80 people
- As of December 2005, 4,025 people await transplant (68% wait for kidneys)
- In Northern Alberta and the Territories alone 128 people are on the kidney transplant waiting list
and 339 are undergoing test to get on the list
- There are 896 others that are on Dialysis, but who could end up on the transplant list should their
conditions worsen.
- Roughly 150 will die while awaiting transplant because suitable organs could not be found
- Canadas donation rate is ranked in the bottom half of countries in the western world where transplants
are preformed. Only 14 out of every million people in Canada donate their organs.
- A signed card is not enough as your family will be asked to consent to your donation. They must be
aware of your wishes to donate.
- Wallet cards are available through the Foundation or in Yellowknife through the Paddlers for Parts
Association (867)444-3007 and ask for Greg
These facts are provided by the Kidney Foundation and you may contact them for more details. They (1-800-461-9063)
would love to hear from you.
| When you think of this logo |
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| you think of us, please do so often |
Welcome to the University of Sea Kayaking web page, please click to visit
Our Logo and the thoughts behind it
I realized when that our logo would have to encompass a few different
things and express the groups we work with as well, not an easy task. However the Paddler's Ribbon is what I came up
with and we feel it works well. The Green Ribbon is the Kidney Foundations symbol of Life and we have arranged it into a kayak
paddle, representing our chosen method of travelling in support of the Foundation. The twin blades serve two purposes representing
both the Organ Donor and the Recipient as well as the sports of Canoeing and Kayaking our favourite fund raising tools. The
paddle shaft represents the permanent connection between the Paddlers and the Kidney Foundation, the donor and the recipient
and canoeing and kayaking our favourite sports. With the addition of other chapters as we grow we like to think that the Paddle
shaft also represents the permenant connection between the chapters. When you think of this symbol you think of us and
we appreciate your thoughts. Greg
Privacy Policy
The Paddlers for Parts Association has a strict policy regarding the personal information of
our members. All contact informaton given to us remains strictly with us and will be used for no other purpose than contcting
the members themselves. We are opposed to the practice of spamming and will not sell or pass on your personal information
or add it to list of any form. Should an exsisting member wish to drop their status all records are destroyed upon the completion
of their request.
Something to think about
Probably not the first thing on your might but perhaps you should consider this little fact. In Canada
at the moment an estimated 2.1 million Canadians have chronic Kidney Disease and do not know it. There are no tell-tale
symptoms with Kidney disease and many discover this fact after it can't be helped. Please sign your Donor Card, carry
it with you and "Recycle Yourself" as thousands wait for the help.
Another sad but ture fact is that Canada loses 53% of it's donated organs to Family refusal after
death. This is perfectly legal but we feel very unfortunate and would like to see the law changed on this. The Paddlers
would prefer to see non consentually donation automatically upon death and option now under consideration in Ontario. All
those apposed could carry a Do Not Harvest card. This approach is having great success in Europe.
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