Ken Droog and friends plan to kite board a distance of 111 km.

Re/Max First Realty’s Ken Droog is planning on some extreme fundraising this spring. Droog and three or four other adventurous souls intend to make a return-trip journey across the Georgia Strait – on kite boards.

“April is usually the windiest month of the year, so it will give us the best chance to ride the prevailing winds across the strait,” says Droog. “But as we have no way of knowing when the best winds present themselves, we’ll just have to wait until the winds are right and go.”

A fundraiser for the B. C. Children’s Hospital (BCCH), the Parksville Realtor is hoping his group’s exploit will raise $10,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, which is fundraising for the BCCH. “We’ve raised about $3,600 so far and hope that our ongoing efforts will bring in the rest before we sail.”

The current plan will see a small flotilla of four or more kite boarders and two or three escort boats depart from Piper’s Lagoon Park near Nanaimo. From there the group will race across the Georgia Strait to Davis Bay near Sechelt. “We have a friend at Davis Bay with a bell on their porch. Our goal is to kite board across, run up and ring the bell, and then head back for home.”

The adventurers will then take to the waves for the return journey, landing at San Pariel near Parksville. The sea voyage will cover some 60 nautical miles (111 km) and is expected to take five or more hours to complete – depending on winds or unforeseen difficulties. To learn more, visit www.kitingforkids.com.