We were all seized by the history of the Czechoslovak RAF veterans during the WWII. Sadly, they were cruelly persecuted on their return to Czechoslovakia by the Communist regime. Their plight was very well portrayed in the Jan Sverak's film Dark Blue World. We felt that we should do something to recognize the efforts of these brave people of whom only 36 out of the nearly 2,500 who went to UK and joined the RAF during the war remain.
Consequently, although we are all new and relatively inexperienced kayakers, we have decided to organize a sponsored paddle of 300 kilometers up the Vltava river in April 2009.
One of us will paddle solo from Nova Pec near the source of Vltava to the beautiful Charles Bridge in Prague. We hope to raise 500,000 Czech crowns for the veterans which will augment the support given to them by the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund amongst others.
We are currently looking for significant sponsors for the project and then in the period January to April we will be fund-raising and training for this very worthwhile cause.
So, the mathematical equation is clear.
We have the years of the war and the years of the post-war injustice suffered by the veterans on one hand. On the other, we have one paddler, 14 days and 300 kilometers and an unknown number of kind people who will pledge money for each kilometer of the planned route. Why? Because they understand what the veterans did for us and how they suffered as a result. They therefore do not forget - more than 60 years after the War ended - and they still care today.
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