We’re making waves on the airwaves! 📺 🌊 Today CAT was featured on CBS News as part of a special series with Strides For Peace’s Race Against Gun Violence (RAGV) — highlighting powerful community-led efforts to create safer, more connected neighborhoods. RAGV brings people together through action, healing, and hope — and you can be part of that. This spotlight honors the incredible work our youth and community do every day. But the work doesn’t stop here — and we need you to keep it going. CAT has joined many community organizations, change-makers, volunteers, sponsors, supporters, and participants at Race Against Gun Violence for several years now. We are raising funds to continue to empower Chicago youth and young adults. Join us in the collective impact! 🔗 Links in bio to learn more, get involved, and donate! #PaddleForPeace #MakeWaves #CBSSpotlight #PaddleForChange #HealingTogether #FundTheFuture #ChicagoAdventureTherapy #RaceAgainstGunViolence #YouthVoicesMatter #JoinTheMovement #CBS #representation#JacksonPark #paddling #rockclimbing # biking #camping #runwalkpaddlebikeclimb #NRS #Ittakesavillage (fb)

This Memorial Day weekend, I was invited to the annual WMCKA kayaking symposium in Montague, Michigan, to help lead the youth program alongside Noah and Aya, while Zorbari confidently and seamlessly coached in the adult program. I’ve volunteered with CAT throughout the years—helping with the rock climbing programs and participating in camping trips with the occasional kayaking adventure—but this was new, exciting, and completely new territory. We were there for a total of three and a half days, taking on all sorts of roles in the spur of the moment. Whether we needed to step into a leadership role to gather the group's attention or take a step back to tend to the needs of a single participant, we stayed organized while having fun and being ourselves. Specifically, we met with the kids while the adult programs were in session. We started with introductory games and quickly broke the ice with an intense game of gaga ball. It didn’t end there—we went on nature hikes, splashed in the water, and got up close with caterpillars and wacky patterned bugs. By the end of the symposium, it was fulfilling to know that we had helped teach our crew of awesome kids how to kayak and stay in touch with nature. Each and every kid had something awesome to offer and I can confidently say I learned a lot from them as well. Here are some awesome moments we captured from this weekend, thank you West Michigan Coastal Kayaker's Association (WMCKA)for making this year’s symposium such a success, we’ll see you next year! #WMCKA2025 #getoutdoors #youthprogram #ChicagoAdventureTherapy #kayakadventures (fb)