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"THE BIG MOO CANOE" COMPLETES 340-MILE CHALLENG
TO RAISE AWARENESS
FOR TWO GREAT CHARITIES
Ultra-Marathon Canoeing Event Caps Off a Season of Events Focused on Fighting Poverty
Join The Big Fort Collins, Colo. (September 2, 2010) - This past week, August 24-27, Fort Collins resident Rob Bean, along with his seven member "Team Heifer," completed the "Big Moo Canoe Challenge" by paddling their canoes and kayaks 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Charles, Missouri. The team participated in the fifth annual Missouri River 340 (MR340), the longest non-stop canoe and kayak race in the United States, to raise donations and awareness for Heifer International.
The team's effort has raised in excess of $11,000, bringing the three-year project total to more than $18,000 for Heifer International; purchasing more than 300 animals for families in need. For Bean, the effort was complete after paddling 57 hours and 19 minutes to place 21st in his division. Other team members placed in the top 20, and all but one completed the entire course in the allotted time.
"The race was a perfect venue for our team to participate in and provided us ample opportunity to share what Heifer International is all about." said Bean. "Given the long distances involved, you have plenty of time to get to know other paddlers while under way. We shared our passion for Heifer's mission of providing a better future for others through gifts of livestock and sustainable farm training, - a gift that promotes self-sufficiency. We also planted seeds about how they could do a Team Heifer challenge in their community as well."
Additionally, the Big Moo Canoe expanded its outreach beyond a single paddling challenge to involve and support the local Fort Collins community. They partnered with the Food Bank for Larimer County and committed to donate 25-percent of all of the money raised in northern Colorado to support their mission. Bean also developed a six-week challenge for school-age children at his church, where each child had an opportunity to learn about charity by achieving a weekly goal focused on a Heifer ideal. Finally, on August 22, the Big Moo Canoe held a local "family lake day" at Swift Ponds. The event served as a food drive and fundraiser for the Food Bank for Larimer County, and doubled as an "official" send off for "Team Heifer." The Big Moo Canoe raised more than $1,200 for the Food Bank for Larimer County and donated nearly 300 pounds of food from the lake day event.
The Big Moo Canoe team comprised a diverse set of male and female paddlers from five states. They had a mixture of solo canoes and kayaks and included a tandem team known as "The Bald Avengers." Each participant had their own personal goals in mind for the MR340 race but all were focused on the common goal of raising donations and awareness for Heifer International.
 "I think the most gratifying aspect of this year's season is that we had a team." said Bean. "When I set out to build a fundraiser around a national paddling event, I didn't know anyone connected with the MR340. But within days of my first request for team members I had our first participant; the team just grew from there. It was great to hear how these paddlers were touched by the Heifer story and their willingness to get involved, even though most had never heard of the organization before. At the end of this experience, I know I had a hand in moving the mission of an organization forward but have also made new friends in the process."
The challenge was not completed without some pain and perseverance. The first day of the event was fraught with strong winds and high water. The second night required paddling several hours in dense fog. And the third day was a challenge to just keep the momentum going toward the finish line. However, the Missouri River proved to be both beautiful and challenging, and the team enjoyed amazing sunsets, beautiful moon rises (and settings), and the graciousness of 10 Missouri communities cheering on and supporting nearly 300 participants in this amazing outdoor challenge.
Bean feels The Big Moo Canoe was a huge success, and he knows the team's effort helped to bring awareness to Heifer's mission in communities nationwide.
"In the beginning, this event was about mixing my passion for canoeing with my family's desire to help Heifer." said Bean. "In the end, it has become much more, and it has been rewarding to watch this great group of paddlers take on a personal goal and achieve it. I know we have planted a lot of hopeful seeds with this effort, and I would love to see the Big Moo Canoe concept grow. I want to thank everyone involved for their love and support; it has been a blast."
The Big Moo Canoe is still seeking donations until the end of September. Support the Big Moo Canoe by visiting www.moocanoe.com, people can donate money directly to Heifer International through the secure website. The Big Moo Canoe is completely self-funded and all tax-deductible donations are sent directly to Heifer International.
Current corporate sponsors include Advanced Media Services, Burns Marketing Communications, First United Methodist Church and Foundation in Fort Collins, FUSEBOX Studio, Imprints Fort Collins, Mountain Source, OtterBox Inc., Paddling.net, Peaceful Reflexions Massage Therapy and Reflexology, and "A Couple O' Jerks" beef jerky. Lake Day event sponsors include Jax Outdoor Gear, Rocky Mountain Adventures, and REI of Fort Collins.
 About The Big Moo Canoe
Fort Collins, Colo., resident Rob Bean started "The Big Moo Canoe for Heifer International" as a way to involve his passion for ultra-marathon canoeing to benefit international and local charities, Heifer International and The Food Bank for Larimer County. Bean and eight team members paddled 340 miles on the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, from August 24-27, 2010 to raise awareness and funds for the organizations.
Team members include: Rob Bean, Fort Collins, CO, Gary Durbin, St. Louis, MO (Bald Avengers), Erin Kendrick, Washington D.C., Rudy Raith, Belton, MO, Jason Rose, St. Louis, MO (Bald Avengers), Brad Sjostrom, Lake St. Louis, MO, Joe Tousignant, Jackson, MO, Charles Wolfe, Two Harbors, MN.
For more information about the Big Moo Canoe, contact Rob Bean at (970) 214-3414, via e-mail at robb@burnsmarketing.com, or by visiting www.moocanoe.com.
About Heifer International
Founded in 1944, Heifer International is a humanitarian assistance organization that works to end world hunger and protect the earth. Through livestock, training and "passing on the gift," Heifer has helped 10 million families in more than 125 countries improve their quality of life and move toward greater self-reliance. Heifer helps build strong communities because each project participant agrees to pass on the gift of animal offspring, training, or skills to another family in need. For more information, visit www.heifer.org or contact Catherine Scott, Community Volunteer Coordinator at
(562) 431-4849.
About the Food Bank for Larimer County
The Food Bank for Larimer County was founded in 1984 to avoid duplication of food collection and distribution efforts by nonprofit agencies. The only Feeding America clearinghouse for donated food in Larimer County, the Food Bank for Larimer County provides food through three primary programs: Food Share, Kids Cafe®, and Food Link. The Food Bank for Larimer County is a private not-for-profit business entity organized under the laws of the State of Colorado and a federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.foodbanklarimer.org or contact Korrie Johnston, Communications Manager at (970) 530-3104.
About the Missouri River 340
In its 5th year the Missouri River 340 (MR340) is the longest non-stop canoe and kayak race in the United States. MR340 is an endurance race across the state of Missouri where competitors race 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Charles. Participants are allowed exactly 88 hours to complete the course by passing through nine checkpoints along the route. The MR340 helps to support the mission of Missouri River Relief, a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based organization dedicated to reconnecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on river clean-ups and education events. For more information, visit www.rivermiles.com or contact Scott Mansker, Race Director at scott@rivermiles.com.
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Rob Bean, Chief Paddling Officer
The Big Moo Canoe for Heifer International
Day: (970) 776-1780, Eve: (970) 266-0252, Cell: (970) 214-3414
Email: robb@burnsmarketing.com
Web: http://www.moocanoe.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BigMooCanoe
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BigMooCanoe
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