That’s some boat ride: 5,500 miles for charity

Darren Hayes left Tuesday on a 5,500 mile, solo water journey. He set sail on a 22-foot pontoon boat from Tierra Verde Marine Resort in St. Petersburg. 

Hayes, 41, is raising money and awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay. The nonprofit serves families of ill children by providing them with a free place to stay during their child’s course of treatment. It also provides food and other resources.

For Hayes, the journey is personal. 

His friend’s daughter had a brain tumor and her family stayed at a Ronald McDonald home during her treatments. Sadly, she passed away, but her family never forgot about the care they received at the facility. 

In order to support his friend, Hayes decided to take trips to raise awareness and funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities. 

Darren Hayes. Photo provided.

In 2013, Hayes drove a 1948 John Deere tractor – at 10 miles per hour – from Florida to Michigan to raise money for Ronald McDonald House. Hayes traveled across 48 states in a 1948 Ford in 2014 for the same cause. 

This time, he launched the Makin’ Wake movement, and will be traveling in the pontoon around the Great Loop, which is a route of various waterways in the Eastern and Central United States including the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Great Lakes, Erie Canal, Mississippi River and the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway. 

During the course of his journey, he will visit more than 20 states including New York, Illinois and Indiana. He plans to stop at various cities on the route to discuss Ronald McDonald House Charities’ work. His final location will be Treasure Island, Florida. 

A professional captain, Hayes is no stranger to the seas. “Being on the water,” he said, “is my happy place.”

Choosing the Great Loop, in Hayes’ opinion, was a sure way to get noticed. 

“We’ve gotta do something that catches people’s attention and it’s kinda outlandish. So when you pair the Great Loop with a pontoon, they are like cats and dogs,” he explained.

 “It’s really a standout, and it has people see that this isn’t a comfortable way of living for four months of my life.” 

It has been a dream in the making for a long time, however. Hayes spent years saving up enough money to do the trip. 

For him, living on a pontoon for four months is more than worth it. “I get the ability to be uncomfortable for a little while in order to raise money for families that definitely need it and deserve it,” he said.  

Hayes wants his journey to motivate people to make a difference and follow their passions. 

“I hope it inspires them to support some form of charity, because giving feels good, but besides that I hope it also was able to motivate people to take a chance, go live their dream, do what it is they’ve always wanted to do, get out of the rat race,” he explained. 

Everyone can have an impact if they want to support Ronald McDonald House Charities or other nonprofit organizations, Hayes emphasized.

“Twenty dollars doesn’t seem like it goes that far, or $5, but when paired with 10,000 other people doing the same thing it makes a tremendous impact, like a life-changing impact.” 

The pontoon for the trip was loaned by sponsor Worldwide Yacht Sales. 

Hayes will provide updates on social media. To follow his journey, visit makinwake.com.