Paddling for arts in schools

A pair of teachers from Paularino Elementary School plan to kayak from Catalina Island to Newport Beach in mid-July to raise money to help train more teachers in art instruction, a skill they could then weave into their own classes at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Shannon Spining and Lisa Roberts plan to cross the 26 miles on July 17, but they’re asking the public for a little help before Friday: They need as many people as possible to log on to their website and vote for them so they can qualify for a $25,000 grant from PepsiCo Inc.

If they were to win the grant, at least $20,000 of it would go toward three charities of their choice: the Arts Advantage Program, which is run through Orange County and helps train teachers on how to teach art, the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The website is www.refresheverything.com/kayaking4kids.

But the fifth- and sixth-grade teachers, who are in their 40s, plan to paddle the marathon-like distance whether they receive financial help from Pepsi or not.

They say the money they raise through sponsorships and donors would go toward the same three charities they’ve listed on the grant application.

“These are charities we believe strongly in, and we want to help them out in any way we can,” Spining, 46, said.

The idea of paddling the distance between Catalina and Newport came to the teachers last summer, when one day they found themselves wondering how far away the island was and started conjecturing on the sort of training it would take to get there by kayak.

They said they were well aware that all sorts of clubs and crews do the trip and that it would be nice to set a personal goal for themselves.

“It wasn’t a dare,” said Roberts, 43. “It was more like, “I wonder how far it is and whether we could get there?’”

Since then, they’ve been in the midst of training, sometimes two to three days a week when the weather is nice.

When they make the trip in July, an escort boat will be traveling along side them, compliments of the Newport Aquatic Center.

Part of the grant money, nearly $5,000, would go toward buying a two-person kayak with seats and paddles, three life vests, a waterproof GPS system, a pair of two-way marine radios, promotional items like T-shirts, banners and license plates and other items.

The rest would go toward the causes.

Both teachers said last year they were certified through the Arts Advantage program and now teach different art subjects, including drawing and painting ancient buildings, in their classroom, thanks to the certification.