Schuylkill Paddlers, Inc.

• City budget and additional grant monies are slated to help support new docks on both the eastern and western shores (and at the Finish Line) in coming years; BUT...
• Recent floods and loss have left both sides with few useable pieces from which boats can safely launch or from which people can safely view the water; SO...
• We're raising $30,000 to cover the estimated costs for materials which our volunteers will use to build 160' linear feet of new dock (with fresh flotation support).

• From there, we'll also prioritize other needed areas (adding onto the City Dock, ensuring needed dock at the Grandstand Finish Line, etc).
• We'll plan to start work on the dock as soon as possible, with intended completion by April 15.

Over the last several years, the Philadelphia paddling community has made its home on the west bank of the Schuylkill. Unfortunately, predators have discovered this and are targeting cars routinely.

Break ins are happening with increasing frequency. Right now, there are piles of glass all over the parking lot from smashed windshields. The vandals smash windows and grab any valuables within seconds. They do this boldly, even when there are witnesses sitting in cars nearby. 

With the paddling season just around the corner, we need to do something to protect our vehicles which are easy targets as we are out on the river. Capturing this criminal activity on camera and grabbing shots of license plates are the best ways to stem this problem.

From what I understand, at some point SPI put together a proposal for installing cameras at the river to capture plates and criminal activity (and deter would-be thieves), but member teams did not approve the expense. This GoFundMe is asking Philadelphia area paddlers who use this dock to contribute whatever amount you are comfortable with -- even $5 would be appreciated -- so we can tackle this problem quickly.

If 25 members of the nine SPI member clubs each gave $20, we could raise $4500 for a multiple camera system to protect our vehicles.

Hopefully the teams themselves will see the importance of this cause and decide to chip in as well for more comprehensive measures that are being evaluated currently.

Thank you.