Paddle for Heroes paddles across Zanesville for Veteran’s Day

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A group of veterans paddled through Zanesville on the Muskingum River as part of their annual Veteran’s Day Tradition.

Paddle for Heroes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to involve veterans, first responders, and others with river clean ups, community projects, disaster relief, and healing through paddling.

“We get out on the water so that we can share those experiences, share our trauma and heal from that trauma together on the water. And build comradery, make new friends and we meet people up and down the river that they see a group of people paddling down the river, people with docks and things will come out and ask questions and ‘oh, what are you guys doing?’ Sometimes, we’ll get another paddler to join us when that happens. So, yeah, it’s pretty cool, man,” said Joey Butts, vice president of Paddle for Heroes.

Nine paddlers traveled about 6 and a half miles, from the Zanesville Yacht Club to the Muddy Misers. At around the four-mile-mark, the group stopped at Zane Landing Park for a moment of silence at the Zanesville’s Eternal Flame. They’ve taken part in this Veteran’s Day tradition in other parts of Ohio and Butts says Zanesville has become the organization’s preferred trip.

“We find Zanesville to be a better paddle. Logistically, it’s better and of course we got this beautiful park, here with the eternal flame monument that we love and we’ve got the double, the double hand-crank lock,” Butts said. “One of it’s kind in the United States, so we love going through that. So it’s just better, a bit better experience here in Zanesville to get people out here on the water.”

Paddle For Heroes also does an annual 160-mile canoe and kayak trip from Mt. Vernon to Marietta in late-spring. You can learn more about the Mt. Vernon-based nonprofit by visiting their website.