Saturday, August 29th, 2020
12:00pm – 4:00pm

This year’s challenge is to challenge yourself!

You can paddle, swim, run, bike or walk to raise funds for P4H!

Please Click Here To Register

(East Hampton, NY…August 2020) Paddlers for Humanity (www.p4h.org), an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in East Hampton, NY, has launched their 2020 Challenge, #ChallengeYourself, to raise money for organizations which better the lives of children through innovative and comprehensive mental health programs for kids and youth, as well as programs supporting families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. After making the careful decision to cancel the Block Challenge, an annual 18-mile open ocean paddle from Montauk to Block Island, the organization is inviting participants to #ChallengeYourself individually through paddling, swimming, running, biking, walking and tracking their progress on the Strava app along the way.

Participants are encouraged to raise $1,500, which directly funds mental health focused causes such as the Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports program by the Bridgehampton School, Callen-Lorde Health Outreach for Teens Program, Family Service League, i-tri, Project Most and The Retreat, as well as the P4H Catastrophic Fund whose ongoing support to individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic is making a difference in their lives. The P4H Catastrophic Fund has donated significant amounts to East End Food Pantries, Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center and OLA of Eastern Long Island.

General donations, donations to a specific paddler or to the Catastrophic Fund can be made by clicking here. The challenge will culminate on Saturday, August 29 with a final challenge and celebration. The P4H Board Members will be hosting a Zoom party and will announce top fundraisers, share stories, celebrate achievements and give awards to the participants with the longest one-day paddle, most money raised and best social media presence.

“This year everyone is challenged in ways that we never expected, including Paddlers for Humanity,” said Co-Chair Fred Doss. “We determined early on that organizing the Block Challenge paddle did not seem like a responsible idea. With that in mind, we’re attempting to pivot to #ChallengeYourself, an opportunity for people to still engage in activities, reach out to friends and family and do some fundraising. The organizations and the people who we have supported over the years have greater needs than ever due to the pandemic and due to the fact that fundraising has been reduced. It’s up to us to continue to support those organizations and individuals who have relied on us. ” To date, Paddlers for Humanity has given away $1.94 million.

Block Challenge History:

The original paddle took place in August 2005 when a group of 19 fishermen, surfers and other East End locals paddled out from the Montauk Lighthouse with the drive and motivation to make it to Block Island. In addition to being a physical challenge, the event was also a charitable gesture that raised money for Miracle House, a cancer support organization. The paddle became a tradition and by 2008, the core group of paddlers had found a way to better brand and harness the power of the event and thus, Paddlers for Humanity grew to become a valuable part of the community.

About P4H:

Paddlers for Humanity is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in East Hampton, NY, dedicated to bettering the lives of children, with an emphasis on supporting innovative and comprehensive mental health programs for kids and youth, including great early intervention outreach, resilency, anti-bullying and changing behavior through a focus on the positive. Furthermore, the P4H Catastrophic Fund supports families in crisis on the East End of Long Island. Since inception, the local non-profit has generated and donated more than $1-million to projects and programs dedicated to bettering the lives of children on the East End.

For further information about Paddlers for Humanity and this event, visit www.p4h.org or email paddle@p4h.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paddlersforhumanity and on Instagram @PaddlersForHumanity