By GENE COLEMAN

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — Erik Elsea’s approximately 2,556-mile, solo canoe trip down the Mississippi River will bring him to Natchez for a ShelterBox fundraiser at Natchez Brewing Company on Saturday with the Rotary of Natchez.

As an ambassador for the charity mission ShelterBox and as president of the Cape Coral, Florida, Rotary Club, his goal is to raise $255,200 for ShelterBox while also raising awareness of the charity’s mission.

ShelterBox provides boxes of goods needed to rebuild the lives of disaster victims. The goods provided by the organization include tents, resilient building materials, water, food, blankets and mosquito netting.

Elsea had his own experiences with catastrophic flooding that occurred more than 25 years ago next door to his hometown of Waterloo, Illinois. 

Holly Anderson, a ShelterBox ambassador working on Elsea’s Mississippi River Expedition, said that unfortunate event opened Elsea’s eyes to the need for relief programs such as ShelterBox.

“He said that was his moment because he had gone through that. He’s been a volunteer ambassador for ShelterBox for many years now,” Anderson said.

Elsea’s 90-day journey began from the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota. After 77 days en route to his final stop at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, Elsea’s experiences have included staying in casino hotels and dining on buffets and using his overturned canoe as shelter from severe weather.

Through fundraising stops and online donations, his campaign has so far raised more than $26,283.

On Saturday from 1-8 p.m. a fundraiser will be at Natchez Brewing Company, 207 High St., with televised college football, children’s activities and live music by Russ and Andy. Jambalaya plates prepared by cooks from Delta Bank will include red beans, dessert and one beer of choice from Natchez Brewing Company. Plates will be $15 with proceeds going to ShelterBox.