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So far, Forrester has raised over $15,000 toward his goal of $20,000 for the National Parkinson Foundation. Donations have come from family and friends, but also from strangers-turned friends whom he has met on the way.
When he stopped in Hermann last weekend, Forrester made fast friends with many of the people he met at the river landing and suddenly found himself the guest of honor at an impromptu party.
Forrester has received a few $1,000 and $500 donations, but a list of donors on his Web site, www.paddlingforparkinsons.com, shows the majority of donations are $20 or so, maybe $50 or $100. He didn't know how many people have donated to the cause so far, just that it's too many to keep track in his head.
Forrester's Web site is filled with information about himself and the journey, as well as a map showing his current location and a blog about his experience along the way.
The blog is kept up-to-date by Forrester's brother, Jared. An outdoor-adventure type since childhood, Forrester at first decided to paddle the length of the Missouri River, where it meets up with the Mississippi and on down to New Orleans (the fourth-longest river system in the world at 3,900 miles) for the sheer challenge of it.
"However, I also knew that I wanted this trip to symbolize more than my own desire and involve philanthropic ideals as well," Forrester notes on his Web site.
"After knowing how much my grandfather, Joe Forrester, had sacrificed for his children, how he had always been supportive of my adventures, and how he had dealt with Parkinson's, I knew to whom my trip would be dedicated. I wanted to show support for my grandfather, and through him, all people dealing with Parkinson's disease."
There are over 1 million people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but that's a conservative number because many people go undiagnosed for years, Forrester noted.
The Experience So Far
When Forrester put his kayak in the river June 2 in Montana, it was so cold still that it snowed on him June 4 and 5.
"I've been through every kind of weather - rain, snow, even a tornado," he said. "One dropped down near the campsite at Lake Sakakawea (North Dakota)."
As physically hard as it's been paddling since June 2, Forrester said the emotional toll has been greater.
"Emotionally, it's a challenge every day," he said. "The hardest part is staying focused, to push myself to go a certain number of miles each day."
So far, Forrester said he hasn't encountered any of the animal dangers he was concerned about (poisonous snakes like cottonmouths), but he has had a couple of run-ins with house cats. One got into his tent in Montana.
Once Forrester reaches St. Louis, he'll get a brief respite when the Hovens pick him up and bring him back to Washington - just in time for the annual Town and Country Fair.
"I've been looking forward to that for a long time," Forrester remarked with a smile.
He is expected to have a live radio interview from the fairgrounds Friday with Diane Jones of KLPW.
Once he gets back on the river, Forrester said he should reach New Orleans by the end of August or early September, but he won't have much time to relax. In October he is heading to Malawi for a climbing expedition through the American Alpine Club. Once that is complete, Forrester plans to stay on in Malawi for a few months volunteering with local medical providers.
Soon Forrester will apply for his residency in general surgery.
For more information on Forrester's journey, Parkinson's diesease or to make a tax-deductible donation, people can visit www.paddlingforparkinsons.com.
