The journey was more difficult than Jeff Loeffler could have ever imagined.
The COVID-19 pandemic, bad weather, wrong turns, swollen fingers and even a lost shoe were just some of what he experienced over the past few weeks.
But through all of the trials and tribulations Loeffler fought through on his 444-mile kayaking journey on the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown, New York, to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, he was ultimately able to reach his goal: raise thousands of dollars for veterans and increase awareness for a nonprofit organization focused on military suicide prevention.
“Back in 2019, I heard an in-depth radio program talking about ‘Stop Solider Suicide’ (organization)” Loeffler said. “I was extremely impressed with the organization’s approach to mental illness, PTSD and their passion for active and retired military and their families.”
On average, 20 veterans commit suicide everyday.
And for Loeffler, a St. Marys native, helping those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder was personal.
Nearly five years ago, he fostered one of his employees who was in a bad living situation and was suffering through some post traumatic injuries.
Loeffler admitted that he had no idea how severe the illness was until he saw it firsthand but that watching someone close to him go through it gave him a newfound understanding of what some people have to silently battle on a daily basis.
And that’s where he was first inspired to complete the arduous trip across the water.
“The thing with mental or psychological issues is this: there is a false sense of shame that comes along with it,” Loeffler said. “People are less likely to tell someone they are struggling emotionally or mentally then they would be if they had a sore leg or a flu.
“Getting the conversation out there is the best course of action to have people facing these challenges to seek the help.”
LOEFFLER, who is a business owner in the St. Marys and Brookville areas and owns entities like Casali’s Italian Grille, Clean Start Mobile Services and Herbology of Brookville, began planning for his trip long before he first launched his kayak in the water in early May.
In between scouting the trip by using maps and talking with others along the route for advice,
Loeffler was also busy trying to figure out how to raise money for the journey.
His original goal was to raise $11,100, or $25 per mile, for the length of his trip. But like most things over the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into some of those plans. Instead of soliciting funds from local businesses — which Loeffler admits he felt uncomfortable doing in light of their lost revenue since the pandemic started — he relied almost exclusively on individual donations from folks in the community.
“I was shocked that…we are only a few thousand dollars away from our goal of $11,000,” Loeffler said late last week as donations have still been coming in after the trip concluded. “It goes to show how much the community truly cares about military personnel and their families. It also kept me motivated through the journey.”
And according to Loeffler, he needed all of the motivation he could get as he navigated the water — especially on the last leg of the trip.
THE TRIP went more quickly than Loeffler anticipated, having finished it in just under 15 days. He kayaked 189 miles in the first four days, 150 miles the next three and the third and last leg was just over 100 miles, according to his Facebook page.
Loeffler also noted that it was the region’s coldest month of May since 2013, making for some brisk days on the water. He punctured a hole in his kayak coming through Harrisburg and had to arrange to get another one in Altoona.
The trip was physically taxing, as well, with Loeffler adding that he got into the water “overweight” on Day 1 but lost nearly 15 pounds and built a lot of muscle paddling between 40-60 miles daily.
As for food, Loeffler had everything packed on the kayak and ate as he paddled. A friend laid out a nutritional plan that included mostly cliff bars and jerky but Loeffler admits that he did have at least one cheat day, when a pizzeria delivered him a hoagie and some poppers from 10 miles away.
And despite a couple of wrong turns at the start, flooding along the route and difficulty navigating the last leg of the trip because of a lack of resources due to COVID-19, most of the surprises he encountered along the way were positive.
“People were so supportive,” he said. “I had several hundred people following the trip on my Facebook page and Instagram and some of the posts on the (Stop Soldier Suicide) Facebook page reached tens of thousands of people.”
News outlets from Harrisburg to Towanda picked up on his journey, touching thousands of people who have been directly impacted by solider suicide and the silent battles that Loeffler was hoping to make more mainstream.
“It kept me going honestly when things were less than pleasant,” he said. “Kayaking in 40-degree weather getting pelted by freezing rain in 25 mph headwinds makes you not want to keep going at times.
“People sharing posts and commenting and donating or sharing their own personal stories with me on how soldier suicide and other issues they have faced really got me pumped up. I was never really alone on that river.”
Though Loeffler is now back at home in St. Marys resting his upper body, people can still make donations to the cause at bit.ly/kayakforheroes or donate directly at stopsoldiersuicide.org.
When he got out of that kayak for the final time, it was a bittersweet moment for Loeffler, who felt at peace on the water by making a big difference in the lives of others.
“I got a lot of phone calls as I was approaching the final bridge before I entered the bay,” he said. “It was a surreal moment I can’t put into words.
“I wasn’t ready to get out. I wasn’t ready for the real world to smack me in the face when I got home again…It went so fast for me honestly. It was a blur.”
