2022 Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis

Travis Suit created an 80-mile long-distance paddle challenge from the Bahamas to Florida as his first attempt at fundraising for the cystic fibrosis community. The Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis in 2013 was a small success with $15,000 in fundraising, four paddlers, including Travis, and two support boats. After learning more about the needs in the CF community and seeing his daughter Piper spend months in the hospital, he launched the Piper's Angels Foundation in January 2017 to raise awareness and support families with cystic fibrosis. This event was inspired because of the incredible health benefits of the ocean for those living with cystic fibrosis.

In 2019, the Crossing For CF event fundraised $675,000, had over two hundred paddlers, eighty support boats, and famed songwriter Jimmy Buffett joined the advisory board along with 4ocean Co-Founder Alex Schultz. What started as a small way for Travis to cope with his daughter's diagnosis has turned into the largest recreational boating event in the Bahamas; and Piper's Angels Foundation, just five years old, has become one of the most impactful grassroots organizations in the country for cystic fibrosis.

The Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis is a movement and vehicle of change for building a platform of advocacy to spread awareness, fundraising, inspiration, improved quality of life, and social innovation in the cystic fibrosis community. Through the Piper’s Angels Foundation and our programs, we are able to make a lifelong impact on the patients and families facing the challenges of this heart-breaking terminal disease. With every stroke of your paddle during your training and on the Crossing, you can hold this understanding and intention in your mind and heart. This is why we paddle.

The Crossing is now one of the events included in the Ultra Paddle League! This is the first global series dedicated to promoting the longest paddle races in the world that aim to connect more than a dozen events across five continents that combine to stretch more than 6,000 kilometers on rivers, lakes, canals, and oceans.

The Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis takes place June 22nd - 26th, 2022 and ALL styles of paddling vessels are welcome! Paddlers may register as solo or on a relay team, and as recreational or competitive (cash purse). More information and registration can be found at https://crossingforcf.com