Bassett is ‘Paddling To Remember’

Robert Clarke ‘Beau’ Bassett, president of the Charles H. Bassett Youth Foundation, Inc. based in Owego, N.Y., is embarking on a 444 mile paddle of the Susquehanna River in support of increased awareness of the Alzheimer’s disease.

This “Paddling to Remember” two week service adventure is being conducted in honor and memory of Armond J. Bassett, his deceased cousin, and Marilyn Beidleman, his high school classmate’s loving wife, both of whom succumbed to early onset of Alzheimer’s.

Robert Beau Bassett is not new to paddling or kayaking as a former Outward Bound canoe trip leader in Minnnesota and Canada, and an experienced Alaskan ocean and river kayaker, who loves the wilderness and outdoor adventure.

Armond Bassett, his cousin, was a former president of the United States Canoe Association, New York and international marathon canoe racer, and one who successfully solo paddled the Susquehanna from its source in Cooperstown to the Chesapeake Bay in 2002.

Marilyn Beidleman was an outstanding public educator in New Hampshire and extraordinary wife and mother.

Bassett will begin his Susquehanna paddle journey on Oct. 10 in Cooperstown, the home of the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital and Bassett Health Care Network, which are named in honor of his Bassett ancestors in Otsego County. He will camp out along the way and stop at various communities such as Owego, where the Charles H. Bassett Youth Foundation is based, to promote community understanding of and support for individuals with Alzheimer’s.

He also has a goal of raising $444 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Bassett plans to complete his paddling journey on Oct. 25, which would have been the 101st birthday of his father, Charles Hibberd Bassett, a native son of Owego and prominent attorney in Syracuse for over 50 years.

Bassett is a direct descendant of Benjamin and Elizabeth Bassett who first settled in New York State’s Butternuts Valley in Otsego County in 1815 and whose grand daughter, Dr. Mary Imogene Bassett, the Bassett Hospital and Bassett Healthcare Network are named after.

For more information on Paddling to Remember or to make a donation, email to chbyouthfoundation37@gmail.com.

The Susquehanna River flows from upstate New York to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The North Branch begins as the outlet of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, New York. At approximately 444 miles long, it is the longest river on the American east coast and the 16th longest in the United States. The broad, shallow waters also make the Susquehanna the longest, non-commercially navigable river in the country.

The Susquehanna River’s two branches merge in the Susquehanna River Valley (near Northumberland).

With an average daily rush of 22 billion gallons of water, the Susquehanna is the largest contributor of freshwater to the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay was formed over 10,000 years ago when what was then the Susquehanna River was flooded by rising sea levels. The quality and quantity of waters from the Susquehanna and its tributaries directly affect the Bay’s health and productivity.

The Susquehanna River is an ideal river for boating, fishing, camping and wildlife watching. For more info, check out the Susquehanna River Trail Association’s website, at susquehannarivertrail.org. The association promotes environmental responsible recreation on the Susquehanna River by maintaining 23 campsites on islands stretching from Sunbury to Harrisburg. Canoeing, fishing and kayaking are promoted as ways to experience this wilderness.