In May of 1803 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off on the Missouri River, leading an expedition intended to find a watercourse to the Pacific coast.

In July of 2011 Josh Arnone and Jason Nazario will put their canoe into that same tributary, their intention two-fold: to win a race and to dig wells in Ethiopia.

William and Clark took on their challenge as faithful American citizens under a charge from President Thomas Jefferson.

Arnone and Nazario are looking for adventure on the Big Muddy while providing Clean Water for fellow world citizens on another continent.

The Event
The Missouri River 340 pits teams of canoe and kayak paddlers against one another in a race across the state of Missouri, starting in Kansas City and finishing – 340 miles later – in St. Charles. Few are up to this grueling challenge, but Josh and Jason are paddling to win!

Visit the Missouri River 340 website.

Water is Life International (WiLi) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to safe water to impoverished communities throughout Ethiopia. The country has a population of 80.7 million, 76% (59 million) of whom live without safe drinking water. WiLi has constructed over 155 wells so far, each one providing water for 250 people.