Grenada Star: Kayaking Club raises Alzheimer’s Awareness

Grenadians Larry Veasey and Will Turnage (top photo) push
their way down the Yalobusha River. Four members of the
Yalobusha Area Canoe and Kayak Club took part in
Lucy’s Revenge Paddling Project. The project was a
52-mile three-day trip down the Yalobusha River from
Grenada Lake to Greenwood. It was done to raise awareness to
Alzheimer’s. The local club has been in existence since Oct. 2010
and is seeking new members.
Staff Photos/Leann McCoy

By LEANN McCOY
Staff Writer

Kayaker Keith Plunkett of Flora had two goals in mind when he and several others navigated the Yalobusha River waterway last weekend as part of the Lucy’s Revenge Paddling Project.

Those goals were to bring raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and showcase some of Mississippi’s lesser-known waterways, according to Plunkett.

Plunkett and several others kayaked the Yalobusha River during a three-day trip from Grenada Lake to Greenwood for a total of 52 miles.

The event was sponsored by Lifehelp Region 6 Mental Health Center-Garden Park Adult Day Center.

The paddling project is a tribute to Plunkett’s grandmother, Evelyn Kirk Plunkett, also known as Lucy, and the family members who cared for her. Lucy Plunkett died in 1993, but she began showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease as early as 1977.

“That’s what’s so bad about this disease,” Plunkett said. “It takes little pieces from somebody in such a slow way that you almost don’t notice it until it’s forced on you. To watch that happen over time, to someone who was as integral to my life as she was, it was tough.”

Plunkett said he began paddling across the state last July to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association and highlight the ongoing efforts of the group and medical professionals who try to defeat the disease.

“Kayaking can be extremely difficult, and when I started, I was doing 25-30 mile treks, and I thought I was going to die,” he said. “A month later, I did 45 miles from the start of the Wolf River all the way down to Bay St. Louis.”

Those interested in learning more about Lucy’s Revenge, can look at http://www.lucysrevenge.com/.

For the Yalobusha River run, he was joined by his wife, Sharon, and 10 others for the trek. He was joined for the first day by four members of the Yalobusha Area Kayakers Club (YAK) that paddled from the lake to Holcomb. Other local members include Craig Hill, Will Turnage, and Chriis Horn.

According to Larry Veasey, a member of YAK, the local group has been in existence since June 2010. They were happy to take part in an event for such a worthy cause.

“We really enjoyed helping raise needed awareness for such a dreaded disease,” Veasey said. “We enjoyed our time going down the Yalobusha River to Holcomb.”

Last October, three members of the group took part in the Phatwater Challenge. It was a 42-mile race down the Miss. River betweem Port Gibson and Natchez. A total of 200 boats took part in the race.

“It was a blast,” Veasey said. “The Corps of Engineers stopped barge traffic down the river and it was impressive to see 200 boats competing in the race.”

The group has planned an outing at Six-Mile Lake near Avalon.

Veasey said that the group is always looking for new members.

“We are more of a group than a club,” Veasey said. “It’s a way to get out and get some exercise. We invite anyone interested to come kayak with us anytime.”

Those interested in being part of the group can contact Veasey at 417-2858. They can also look on Facebook searching for Yalobusha Area Canoe and Kayak Club. The address for Facebook is http://www.facebook.com/.

Grenada Star