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Muskegon, Mich. • A Western Michigan University student has completed a six-day, 216-mile kayak trip down the Muskegon River to raise money for Parkinson's disease research, education and advocacy.
Cody Ledsworth paddled to the finish line at a boat launch on Muskegon Lake on Tuesday. The 20-year-old's trip was in honor of his grandmother, Marguerite Ledsworth, who has the disease, The Muskegon Chronicle reported.
The trip has raised more than $2,300 for the nonprofit Parkinson's Disease Foundation, just short of his $2,500 goal. Considering that his original goal was $500, he's pleased with the results.
"I was surprised," he said of the donations. "It's a lot more than I thought it would be. We crushed $500 in the first few hours."
The journey was filled with challenges. Headwinds made the paddling more work. And on the first day, his kayak sprang a leak and started taking on water. He patched it and later received a new kayak from Muskegon's KL Industries, which also made a $500 donation.
"It's fantastic, just fantastic," Dennis Ledsworth said of his grandson. "The love that is shown through this is amazing. ... We're just so proud of him."