RE/MAX Agent Paddleboards Canada to Raise $100K for Kids

Storms, high winds and a back injury are just a few of the hurdles Jennifer Evelyn has had to overcome as she paddleboards from Toronto to Ottawa. But she knows all of that is nothing compared to the fight children and their families face every day when they’re going toe-to-toe with pediatric illnesses.

“This may be hard for me, but those families and those parents and those kids, they don’t have choices,” says Jennifer, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Impact Realty in Courtice, Ontario. “That’s my motivation. For me, yeah, it’s hard, it’s hot, it’s not fun. But at the end of the day I’m going to get off my board and go home and have a normal life. These families don’t have that.”

Jennifer launched her 300-nautical mile journey, dubbed Paddle for Miracles, from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto with a goal of fundraising $50,000 for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). She’ll conclude her trip with a visit to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa. Despite a few setbacks and a required pause in her route to tend her back, Jennifer has already surpassed that fundraising goal and raised more than $70,000 for CMN, the RE/MAX network’s charitable partner for nearly 30 years.

Most of the donations, she says, have come from RE/MAX affiliates, many of whom are what she calls “steward agents.” Steward agents donate $1,000 or more and receive recognition on her website. It’s these same generous agents who helped push her fundraising past her initial goal, even before she pushed off shore.

“I was so close to that $50,000 goal on the launch date that they purposely topped it off before I hit the water,” she says. “I started crying because having that many people believe in what you’re doing, it’s such a humbling feeling. This journey isn’t about me. I’m getting a lot out of it emotionally and personally, but the biggest part of the journey is learning how many really great people are out there.

“Real estate is a tough business. It’s been a tough couple of years. You start losing faith in humanity during all this. But wow, this puts things in perspective.”

Jennifer, whose own family has experienced the need for pediatric medical care, says she was inspired greatly by fellow RE/MAX agent – and CMN fundraising superstar – Bruce Johnson and his Motorcycle for Miracles trips, which have raised more than $700,000 for CMN since 2013.

“One of the things Bruce mentioned to me is that people (impacted by Children’s Miracle Network) would be reaching out and sharing their stories,” Jennifer says. “It’s pretty amazing what people are sharing with their lives. I’ve never had that opportunity to go that deep with a lot of these people who have been in my life for years. It’s pretty emotional.”

Noting that she’s heard first-hand accounts of local hospitals running out of beds but also pillows and blankets, Jennifer says she’s driven to make sure these facilities receive more money and support.

She also says she feel immensely supported by the RE/MAX network and her sphere of influence, and specifically by her Broker/Owner and brokerage, which is hosting a barbecue for her. But it’s the paddleboard itself that gives her that extra push when she needs it as she’s paddling up to seven hours a day.

“A number of donors and supporters have signed ‘Max,’ my board. Right in the center of my board, it says SickKids VS (a marketing campaign slogan for the hospital), which was written by a director at SickKids. Literally anytime I’m having a really hard time, I look right at that,” Jennifer says. “I’ve got a spot reserved right underneath it for CHEO to do the same thing.”

Paddle for Miracles will take a yearlong hiatus as Jennifer rests her back and recuperates from her injury. Though the route has changed, Jennifer says she’ll resume her journey in 2022 – and hopefully raise more money in the process. To follow along her journey and support her efforts, visit paddleformiracles.com.

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