Third-annual Witches Paddle fundraiser event in support of Stand A.S.A (Against Sexual Assault) hosted by Kerry Lewis and her Paddle-A-Board Vacations club in Carburn Park in Calgary, Alberta. (Ruby Zummack, CMRU.ca)
Not often do you see people paddleboarding on the cold waters of late October in Alberta–the last sight you would expect to see is 48 witches paddleboarding on the icy waters of late fall.
The witches of Carburn Park
On October 26th, 48 witches were seen paddling across the waters at Carburn Park.
People passing by stopped to take photos not knowing the reason behind the bizarre sight.
Owner of the paddleboarding club, Paddle-A-Board Vacations, Kerry Lewis was hosting her third-annual Witches Paddle.
Participants pay a minimum of $10 to attend the event with one-hundred per cent of the fees going to a local Calgary charity.
Lewis chooses a different charity to raise money for throughout each paddleboarding season, this year Stand A.S.A (Against Sexual Assault) was chosen.
With the recent launch of Lewis’ paddleboarding club it was the first year she was also able to donate half of her membership fees to Stand A.S.A.
“I like to give back to the community as best as I can and this year I chose Stand A.S.A,” Lewis stated, “They’re a local Calgary-based charity that help victims of violence and also educate people on the violence. It’s very close to my heart.”
Lewis aims to choose charities that are local to Calgary and that are special to her.
Event success
Despite the cold weather, the Witches Paddle had the biggest turnout and donation success Lewis has had so far.
Participants raised a total of $650 for Stand A.S.A from the event alone.
Through Lewis’ Paddle-A-Board Vacation club membership fees, other club events, and the Witches Paddle event, Lewis raised a total of $2,060 for Stand A.S.A.
In past years the Witches Paddle also saw donation success:
- 2022: Seven attendees and $200 raised for a local cancer patient treatment
- 2023: Seventeen attendees and $342 raised for a local cancer patient treatment
- 2024: Forty-eight attendees and $650 raised for Stand A.S.A
Lewis’ background
Kerry Lewis is an avid paddleboarder who turned her hobby into a paddleboarding club, Paddle-A-Board Vacations, just this past year.
Lewis started paddle boarding in 2020 during Covid back when she lived near the ocean back in England.
“2020 hit and the only thing that I felt like I needed to do to keep me in a good mental state was to be on the water,” said Lewis.
Lewis is also a licensed mindset coach and sees value in connecting paddleboarding with building emotional intelligence.
Lewis’ paddleboarding club promotes a healthy mindset through the practice of paddleboarding.
“The club idea came together just because I want to help people and I know that not everyone can afford to do a lesson, so the club is designed to bring people together at a lower cost and they get taught different skills on a Tuesday evening here at Carburn Park,” Lewis said.
On top of providing paddleboard lessons and outings, Lewis also hosts retreats and adventures that people can pay to attend.
Members can join the club for $60 for a season which lasts from the end of May to the end of October, depending on weather.
Lewis hopes to expand her Paddle-A-Board Vacations club and encourage more members to sign-up to enjoy adventures and days on the water.
Author’s reflection
Working with Kerry Lewis and her Paddle-a-Board Vacations club was one of the top highlights I have had so far in my broadcasting career.
Lewis is one of the most cheerful and positive people that I have met, which made it super easy to work with her in a productive way.
I instantly felt comfortable when working and collaborating with Lewis and I hope to remain involved in her club and watch as it grows and succeeds.
It was amazing to see how large of a turnout the event had and to help Lewis get footage to news websites for coverage on the event.
I hope that by working with Lewis and showcasing the Witches Paddle event more people will attend her events and join her paddleboarding club to raise more money for future charities.
I think that the videos I have created for Lewis will help her to promote her club and work towards growing her impact in the community.
Lewis helped me to see that some people truly do things out of the kindness of their hearts and that giving back to the community is something that anyone can take part in doing.
I wish Lewis all the best with her career and her club and am thankful for her partnering with me on this project.
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