Would you pay $27,000 for a stand up paddle board?
The Everglades Foundation - not an Aussie
organisation but a good cause!
organisation but a good cause!
In Palm Beach, Florida - stand up paddling has absolutely taken off since it's resurgence in the late 2000's. There right from the start, Jupiter Paddleboarding has been the largest store in Florida, and one of the biggest in the USA. This week, in conjunction with the Everglades Foundation, Jupiter paddle boarding donated a stand up paddle board to raise money for the charity, and in the process breaking the record for the most expensive stand up paddle board ever sold.
The Everglades foundation is an american organisation, with the sole aim of leading efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem. Unfortunately over the past few hundred years - urban development in the area has left the remaining Everglades area only half its original size, and broken up by 1,800 miles of canals and dams, water control points and pump stations that divert the natural flow east and west to supply the coastal towns and cities. Currently the non-profit organisation is attempting to preserve what's left of the ecosystem, and educate the public on the benefits of such an area.
In attendance at the Annual Everglades Foundation Gala - were some big names in surfing, including Kelly Slater, Jack Nicklaus, Joe Scarborough, and Dave Mathews. Also at the gala were several hundred of the foundations members, and many other notables from the surrounding areas. During the auction for the Jimmy Lewis stand up paddle board, bidders held up glow sticks in a darkened room to place their bids. The dark room meant that nobody knew who the winning bidder was - all we know is that the final offer was a princely $27,000 - an incredibly generous donation.
If you'd like more information on the Everglades foundation, check out their website here. You can read about the board in question here on the Jimmy Lewis Website.
Fremantle, WA
