Tall Ship Adventuress News: "Get Kids on the Boat" with the 29 Dollars, 29 Days Campaign

Executive Director Catherine Collins with young sailors.

As every parent knows, childhood sails by faster than a schooner in a stiff breeze. The quality of those most important years depends on adults who are often overwhelmed with work or their own concerns, and many kids miss out on the kinds of healthy, exciting experiences that shape lives. Instead, they sit around indoors playing computer games or watching TV. Wouldn't it feel great to give them memories they'll never forget?

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Sound Experience, the not-for-profit organization that owns the historic tall ship Adventuress, will launch a new fund-raising campaign. It's called "29 Dollars, 29 Days: Get Kids on the Boat" Twenty-nine dollars is what it takes to give one young person a three hour sail. Twenty-nine days is the duration of this fundraiser. Every day and every dollar counts.

Join the many friends and crew members of Adventuress to kick off this event at the Theo Chocolate Factory in Seattle, between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. this Saturday night. The cost of attending the "Party for Adventuress: a benefit with live music" is, as you might have guessed, $29, and along with the live music you get food, beverages, and a lot of fun. You'll find all the details for registration when you click on the party link.

If you've been reading Good Life Northwest for awhile, you already know how much I've loved Sound Experience and Adventuress, ever since my first sail during Tall Ships Tacoma. This restored 1913 schooner sails the waters of Puget Sound offering environmental education with an emphasis on youth. I've personally seen how even one afternoon out on the water can change a child forever. This is hands on. They learn to raise the sails and feel the power of nature as the wind swells the canvas. Excitement builds as the deck tilts and water hisses by the bow when it cuts through waves. Sunlight glints off the layers of varnish on century-old wood. Wouldn't you love to give a child this opportunity? Even if you can't attend the party, please consider giving an online donation. Who knows?  The childhood memory you make might be the best one ever. Thanks, and "Fair Winds."