Volume No. 2 Issue No. 51 - Monday August 25, 2008
New York man Kayaks to support school in Dominica
Brockway plans to kayak 500 miles to raise funds.
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This September, an Elmira man plans to kayak more than 500 miles to raise money for a school on the small Caribbean island of Dominica.
Tom Brockway is turning his dream of 20 years into reality. Brockway says when he first read about Dominica in a National Geographic magazine, he never imagined he'd actually visit, let alone become a benefactor of a local school.
But now the former flight attendant and Lowe’s delivery driver is living out what he says is his life’s calling. Brockway says the minute he read the article about “The Commonwealth of Dominica”, a small island in the Caribbean.
Tom says from the minute he read it, he knew it was where he wanted to be.
“When I read it, I was like wow, I really want to see this place. Not knowing that ten years later I would get a job with the airlines which afforded me to easily go there,” he said.
Brockway later became a flight attendant, and asked to be stationed in the Caribbean. He visited the island on his days off.
“I rented a vehicle and I drove around and explored. It was everything i thought it would be and more.”
He became friends with the locals, including the Principal of an elementary school.
“When I saw how little the school had I made a decision in my mind to give something back.”
So he formed a plan. He is using his love of kayaking to raise money for the school.
“I thought wow, I can do something that I’ve always loved and is a dream of mine, and use that to make this other dream come true,” he said.
Tom's journey will begin on the Chemung River and he will kayak over 500 miles to Chesapeake Bay. Brockway says he's not worried about the distance; he just wants to give back to the place that he says has given him so much.
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