On the 43rd anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, three men, Joe Lorenz, Kwin Morris and Jeff Guy, presented a check for $15,000 to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The presentation was held Saturday, November 10th at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point at an event honoring sailors who lost their lives on the great lakes. All three men were invited to ring the bell salvaged from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald in honor of each crew member who perished on that cold November night.
This past July the trio traveled 60 miles on stand-up paddleboards in 21 hours across Lake Superior, the largest, coldest, and most dangerous of the Great Lakes.
The goal of their trip was to raise more than $10,000 which they accomplished with help from their many supporters and people who were encouraged by the young men. "We crossed over the site of the Edmund Fitzgerald, stopped and laid a wreath of white carnations to give respect to all of the shipwrecks and sailors that have gone down," says Morris, age 31, a teacher in the Elk Rapids School District. He and the two other paddle boarders are co-founders of Stand Up for Great Lakes, a non-profit organization set up to protect the Great Lakes and educate others about our freshwater resources.
In addition to the check, the trio also presented a special carved log to the museum, "It was one we picked up in the middle of the lake during the crossing and we had it carved and painted," says Jeff Guy.
"A documentary of the Superior crossing will air on Thanksgiving Day on Channel 9 & 10 at 5pm in northern Michigan," says Corey Adkins, an award-winning documentary Director of Photojournalism at 9 & 10 News, a CBS affiliate in northern Michigan.
Watch the Crossing Lake Superior special reports here:
Special Report: Crossing Lake Superior Part 1
Special Report: Crossing Lake Superior Part 2
Special Report: Crossing Lake Superior Part 3
The Superior journey began from Sinclair Cove, Ontario, near centuries-old pictographs of paddlers painted on the cliffs by the Ojibwe.
They finished right at Whitefish Point in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the site of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The group's first crossing was Lake Michigan in 2015, a 60-mile and 23-hour journey in 37-degree water. They raised $10,000 for the Great Lakes Alliance. In June 2017 they crossed Lake Huron and raised $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The 90-mile paddle journey took over 28 hours to complete.
For more information or to make a donation, visit their website at StandUpForGreatLakes.com. Watch the trailer for their Lake Superior Crossing here. Follow their updates on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/standupforgreatlakes/
Their next lake crossing is Lake Erie this summer.
About Jeff Guy: Guy, 33, is a financial advisor in Traverse City. He also enjoys golf, hockey and fishing. He lives in downtown Traverse City, MI.
About Joe Lorenz: Lorenz, 32, is a personal trainer in Traverse City. When he's not helping people achieve their fitness goals, he's up for almost anything involving water, travel, adventure, fitness, or beer.
About Kwin Morris: Morris, 31, was born and raised in northern Michigan, making him a keen waterman, traveler, and adventurer. He is a teacher in the Elk Rapids School District and is also a SUP/Yoga instructor for Paddle Guys.
About Corey Adkins: Adkins is an 11-time Emmy award-winning Director of Photojournalism for 9 & 10 News, a CBS affiliate based in Cadillac, Michigan. A gifted storyteller, he won "Best Documentary" from the Associated Press in 2018 for his filming of the Huron crossing, which can be seen here. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) honored him for best special interest programming for the Huron documentary. He also won a 2015 award on a commemorative Edmund Fitzgerald production.
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Media Contact: To arrange an interview, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 248-705-2214.