Make way for a 50-ton miracle

You've probably already seen this story by now but, in case you haven't, I thought I'd share it with you: California surfer receives whale of an escort during marathon paddle.

Jodie Nelson had made a pledge to her best friend, who is battling breast cancer. Nelson, a 34-year-old surfer, promised to standup-paddle nearly 40 miles along the California coast to raise money for cancer charities, and to inspire her sick friend to keep fighting. But, as valiant as her intentions were, Nelson didn't get the support she'd hoped for.

Nelson raised only about $6,000 in advance of the paddle, disappoingtingly short of her target of $100,000 for the Keep a Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer.

And, that might have been the end of it--if it hadn't been for "Larry." Shortly after the journey began, Larry, a 30-foot minke whale, joined Nelson on her journey, swimming alongside her for two hours as she paddled through calm waters; he even blew bubbles under Nelson's board. What makes this story more spectacular is, according to marine biologists, minke whales are extremely elusive and rarely seen off the Southern California coast.

The story was featured prominently on the Yahoo! homepage on Friday and it caught on quickly. By the time I donated to Nelson's effort early Friday morning, she'd raised nearly $50,000 through her online site. NBC Nightly News ran her story that evening and more people pulled out their wallets. As of this today, donations have skyrocketed to more than $120,000. Hopefully, they'll continue rolling in.

It's such a great story on so many levels; I think that's why so many people wanted to be a part of it, myself included. If you'd like to donate too, you can do so by visiting Nelson's Web site:
Keep a Breast Foundation - Paddle with Purpose.


>>> Back to The World of Catze homepage <<<