Sixty days, 2,300 miles and a whole lot of paddling.
That’s what awaits two LSU students    — psychology senior Max Zoghbi and finance senior David Bonnoitt — and two University of Mississippi students — real estate senior Rob Treppendahl and religion and history senior Bowman Hitchens.
Their plan, dubbed “A Wake in the Current,” is to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River in less than two months this summer.
From the river’s origin in Lake Itasca, Minn., the quartet will set their oars into the water on June 21, hoping to reach Jackson Square in New Orleans less than 60 days later.
Camping on riverbanks and traveling 10 to 16 miles per day, the group’s goal is to raise money for two ministries, the Gardere Christian Community School in Baton Rouge and Interfaith Compassion Ministry in Oxford, Miss.
“Gardere Community Christian School gives kids from low-income backgrounds or children at risk a top-notch education for little to nothing,” Zoghbi said. “The parents of these kids pay $30 a month, but it costs about $7,500 to sponsor them.”
Zoghbi said they hope to raise $50,000 to sponsor seven or eight kids for a year at the school.
Nancy Zito, director of Gardere Community Christian School, said she was stunned when the students first contacted her.
“I’m a little older, and they’re younger, and they’re adding a lot of excitement,” Zito said.
Gardere Community Christian School, set to open in August, will employ University students as tutors, Zito said.
ICM in Oxford assists homeless people.
Hitchens said there were 300 homeless people in Oxford last year, 153 of them children. Oxford has a permanent population of 20,000. They mostly live in abandoned apartments or houses or move from household to household.
Though it wasn’t the homelessness he was used to growing up in Charlottesville, Va. (pop. 43,000), Hitchens said he wanted help the cause.
“I wanted to do something really huge to help [the] homeless in Oxford,” Hitchens said. “The homeless have been on my heart for a long time and on Rob’s, as well.”
  Video: “A Wake in the Current”
 
Donations are already pouring in. Zoghbi said in the next two weeks there will be between $7,000 and $10,000 for sure for both ministries.
Bonnoitt said individuals can donate online through PayPal, and businesses can help financially or contribute equipment. Oxford Outdoors is providing the team’s equipment, and Smoothie King will send packages of protein and food for the entire trip.
“We’re challenging all our college friends our age to give $10,” Zoghbi said. “Or to match us one cent for every mile we’re going. It’s a reasonable amount — we can not have a latte or two a month and use that money to really benefit these kids and raise awareness.”
The river is not a cakewalk, Zoghbi said. Each paddler will burn 5,000 to 6,000 calories per day and endure whatever surprises the Mississippi has in store. The largest rapids they will encounter will be wakes from passing barges, and their speed won’t be much faster than 6 miles per hour.
All four students have had kayaking experience but nothing compared to the miles they’ll tackle every day this summer. Bonnoitt said he’s ready to end training and get started.
“I want all the planning and stuff out of the way so we can just really enjoy the trip and have fellowship on the river,” Bonnoitt laughed. “I’m also excited about seeing the money come in and seeing the fruit of our labors.”
Zoghbi said he’s ready to share their vision with the entire country through the people they meet on the river and those who donate to the cause.
“It’s just really amazing to see doors being opened every day,” Zoghbi said. “We’re so encouraged by the support we’ve had from our friends and our family and people we don’t even know just coming on board to get excited about this with us.”
Treppendahl encouraged readers to visit their website, awakeinthecurrent.com, and offer support, “whether it is in finances, prayers or gear.”
“I’m most excited about a chance to share our faith nationwide and serve the kingdom in a really tangible way,” Treppendahl said.
Hitchens said the four of them will grow as brothers and good friends on the trip.
“There will be days when we’re broken down and tired,” Hitchens said. “But it’s going to prepare us for so many things in the future.”
 
—-
Contact Catherine Threlkeld at [email protected]