Fifty-two brave paddlers set out to take on the 18-miles of open ocean from Montauk to Block Island this past Saturday, August 29th. According to Paddlers for Humanity, this year’s Block Challenge broke records in terms of participants and monies raised. The 10th Anniversary of the event brought in more than $190,000 in donations from 52 participants and others. The organization will continue focusing its efforts on improving programs that address youth mental health. Funds raised this season will be donated to the following causes: Bridgehampton School’s Positive Behavior Intervention System; buildOn; Family Service League; Hoops for Hope; i-tri; Long Island Communities of Practice; Project MOST; and The P4h East End Catastrophic Fund.

The paddle itself was a positive experience for everyone involved, according to P4H board member and paddler Fred Doss. “We had a really diverse group of newcomers and veterans, men and women. The conditions were good, certainly much better than the last two years. There wasn’t any fog so we could see Block Island from the beginning of the paddle. Not to minimize the effort, there’s no question it’s a challenge, but everyone involved was in great spirits and offered each other great support. Not to mention, our support boat team out on the water was truly unbelievable. We’re so grateful and excited that the event was such a huge success.”

For further information about Paddlers for Humanity events, visit www.p4h.org.  Get social at www.facebook.com/paddlersforhumanity and www.twitter.com/p4humanity