80-year-old paddling length of Mississippi River makes quick La Crosse stop
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — An 80-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, is paddling his way down the entire length of the Mississippi River.
Dale Sanders stopped briefly in La Crosse Tuesday morning on his journey to raise awareness and money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It’s a cause that’s very close to his heart.
“My great-niece has Type I juvenile diabetes. So we are trying to raise awareness and funding for research in that field to fight that dreaded disease,” Sanders told News 8.
He started the trip in June in Itasca State Park and he’s traveling an average of 20 to 30 miles per day. Sanders expects to make it down to the Gulf of Mexico sometime in August. Once he gets there, he’ll be the oldest person to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River.
You can follow his progress down the river at www.greybeardadventurer.com.
