Support The HVC and Hudson River Riders

Chev Dixon is the Director of the Hudson River Riders (HRR). A local paddling club based in Yonkers, New York that provides free outdoor recreational programming to the youth and BIPOC community year-round, serving thousands since 2016!

In 2021, Chev created the Hudson Valley Challenge to further his mission in eradicating the socioeconomic barriers that sit firmly between many people and nature.

The Hudson Valley Challenge (HVC) is an annual community based multi-sport (running, hiking, cycling, paddling) expedition that takes place in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Each year the HVC encompasses varying routes, distances, and locations to promote local and sustainable adventures, and inspire people of all ages, races, genders and abilities to lead healthier lives.

Our team is currently producing “Hudson River Riders” (working title). A documentary film based on Chev and HVC that will work as a tool to inspire and motivate communities everywhere to reconnect with nature and one another. It is our overall goal to motivate the outdoor community and collectives everywhere to create more inclusive, sustainable access to outdoor adventure sports.

Hudson River Riders follows two distinct narratives:

1. It captures Chev's coming of age story as a young Jamaican immigrant fresh to New York, finding a way to reconnect with nature in a different way than back home, discovering sea kayaking, and eventually growing into the mentor that he needed.

2. It will also capture the Hudson Valley Challenge 2024 featuring a cohort of 15 youth. Many that have trained under Chev for the past 5 years. Together they will hike to see the source of the Hudson River and paddle along various stretches in preparation to circumnavigate Manhattan by kayak– A feat that requires not only physical endurance to paddle the 33-miles in one day, but a keen understanding of tides, currents, and how to navigate around Manhattan’s busy boat traffic.

So far we've secured several community partnerships (in example: Werner Paddles, Astral, Well + Good) and have raised $11,000 our $50,000 goal on this campaign will placing us that much closer to our finish line. But there's still much work to do!

We are filming the Hudson Valley Challenge 2024 June 19th - July 7th.

HVC invites local residents, athletes, and explorers to join HRR in championing this year’s cohort as they take on the physical and mental challenges of a multi-day expedition for the first time.

Visit https://hudsonvalleychallenge.com to learn more and register!

This HVC social awareness film project and campaign is a labor of love and through your contribution, we can move the needle forward in the direction of overall community wellness.

Thanks in advance, it means the world to us!

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With gratitude,

The HRR Team