Man kayaks Ohio River to raise Parkinson’s Disease awareness

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - For the next couple of weeks, a man will be kayaking the Ohio River to raise money for a charity he believes will lead to a cure for a disease impacting 10 million people worldwide - Parkinson’s Disease.

Along the banks of the Ohio River, if you wait long enough you will see all sorts of people enjoying the river. From barges to recreational boaters and even kayakers, but for Taylor Dewey, kayaking the entire Ohio River is for a cause near and dear to his heart.

Dewey continues his trip down the Ohio River to Fernbank Park Tuesday. He started this six-week-long trip in Pittsburgh 20 days ago.

He will end in Cairo, Illinois in a few weeks after paddling 981 miles.

Dewey uses a water pump that purifies the water from the Ohio River to make it potable.

Dewey says every year he plans an adventure while on leave from the Navy. He has kayaked other rivers and even biked the perimeter of the United States.

This year, the challenge has personal meaning.

“I predominately raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease research as part of Team Fox,” says Dewey. “Parkinson’s Disease is a disease that affects millions of people worldwide and just like many other families, my family was not immune to that. My grandma tragically lost her life to Parkinson’s Disease about a dozen years ago.”

Dewey has faced some storms along the river and had some hard days between the weather and physical exhaustion, but he says those challenges pale in comparison to battling Parkinson’s Disease.

“[Kayaking] is physically challenging and very demanding physically,” explains Dewey, “But it’s nothing compared to what people have to go through that face Parkinson’s on a daily basis.”

If you would like to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, you can follow this link.

Dewey set a goal of $2,000 for this trip. He has already surpassed that goal. He just hopes the money he raises makes a difference in the lives of people fighting Parkinson’s Disease.

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