Sustainable Future for Quapaw Canoe Company

Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow River Rats:

The goal of this fundraiser is to stabilize the future of one of Mississippi's integral businesses, the Quapaw Canoe Company . Over the decades, we opened up the wild wonders of the Mississippi River as a recreational paradise for all paddlers of all ages to enjoy. In doing so, we helped set the stage for Clarksdale's economic recovery. And yet pandemic crippled us. We need help rising above. Since pandemic we have been operating in "reactionary mode," with no reserve funds to fall back on. This is hurting our staff, and the health of our infrastructure -- and crippling our ability to move forward with balanced, thoughtful intention in our dedication as the worker bees of the Lower Mississippi River.

Your investment in our future can be done one of many ways. We are not coming to you empty-handed! Take your choice: it can be made anonymously, with no reward or recognition.

-- Or -- here are rewards, if you want one:

$100 or more will receive one of our hand-painted watercolor map-posters, signed by artist.

$500 or more will receive the previous + a finely carved Mississippi River black walnut driftwood.

$1,000 or more will receive the previous + a treasure box of Mississippi gravel bar goodies like fossils, geodes, amber, crinoids, agate, marble, granite, lithified mud, and other geologic goodies carried downstream.

$2,500 or more will receive the previous + credit towards a future booking on a river adventure with us.

$5,000 or more will receive the previous + your choice of any one of my 18 x 24 watercolors or similar sized oils.

$10,000 or more will receive the previous + your choice of any one of my giant wall-sized watercolors, or similar sized oils.

Can you help us out in our time of need?

The rest of the story:

We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary . We also received the 2024 SBA Miss Small Business of the Year Award (check out this list of winners. It’s a national award, one business from each state of the Union, and territories also!). We are community oriented business. We donate trips to charities, we volunteer our time for conservation efforts and youth programs, we send out a free newsletter sharing river stories and artwork.

At the same time, in a twist of vicious fate, we are still struggling to recover from pandemic (and my hip surgery & recovery last year, also a vandalized suburban, an outdated dysfunctional website, and other setbacks -- all at the same time!). Due to prolonged downtime in 2023, I have been unable to devote much time to promoting and advancing the vision and overarching goals of the Quapaw Canoe Company.

This spring, regardless of our accomplishments and awards, I am finding my back pressed against the wall. It doesn’t seem fair, but that is the nature of the small business, right? We survived floods, we survived tax fight. We’ll survive this. With your help. Are you interested in investing in the next 25 years — in the long-term future of Quapaw Canoe Company?

Your support will help us pave a sustainable pathway forward. In specific: 1) for an up-to-date functioning website, 2) for hiring an administrative assistant, 3) for locating and securing a business partner, 4) for promotions and advertisement, 5) for reliable shuttle vehicles, 6) for staff support (housing, health), 7) for building repairs (leaky roof, damaged garage door), and 8) for reserve in case of emergency.

Anyone who knows me knows that my sweat & tears are invested in this business (and everything I am, and everything I own — as well as my heart & soul -- and all the loans made to stay afloat).

But you may not know that I have no retirement plan. I already used emergency funds we had squirreled away surviving pandemic. Over the decades, for better or worse, I have plowed all QCC profits back into the business, mostly as infrastructure: canoes, kayaks, paddles, carving tools, camping supplies, and our 18,000 square foot downtown Clarksdale base of operations. In lean times I have been able to sell pieces of the whole (like a canoe, or a kayak) to stay afloat, although that is an uncertain padding in emergency situations.

Worse case scenario — If I cannot bring this ship around, I might have to sell off our Clarksdale building, and some of our big canoes, to stay afloat, and pay off all debts. But that is like cutting the limb you are standing on. That would probably shut down our operation. This my last choice.

Thank you for helping make us who we are. And thank you from the bottom of our muddy hearts if you can assist us now in our time of need.

We Mighty Quapaws, we remain faithfully yours, as friends, as family, as fellow river rat, and as worker bees to our queen mother Mississippi!

Big River Love from all of us,

"Driftwood Johnnie" John Ruskey

Ellis "Smooth" Coleman

Mark "River" Peoples

“Red River Otter” Heather Crosse

Ceili "Mayfly" Hale

and all of the Clarksdale, MS, team