KAYAK TRIP ON BEHALF OF HONDURAN PEOPLE

Brian Merline spent months training for his trip down the Mississippi River and he spent plenty of time carefully constructing the kayak he would travel in.

But the trip isn't just for fun. Merline is working for a cause while he paddles his way to New Orleans -- he's raising money for the Honduran Health Exchange in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

"I wouldn't be doing this if it didn't have a purpose," he said.

After living in Honduras for more than a year and working with the Honduran Health Exchange, Merline returned to the United States to raise awareness about the needs of the Honduran people. The kayak trip is sponsored through pledges.

The Honduran Health Exchange is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that teaches health education and preventive care for the people in the Honduras.

"I'm sure you've read about it and Third World nations," he said. "They are in conditions that are appalling."

Many of the things Merline will be teaching people in Honduras are things Americans take for granted. Much of the information isn't given to the people because of limited access to education, he said.

Merline learned about the health exchange through an adviser at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he was a student until 1993. He agreed to volunteer with the group after graduation.

Merline had spent time on canoe trips, and wanted to plan a river trip, so a kayaking voyage in the States seemed like a logical fund raiser. But it took some extra work.

Merline built a special 16-foot "sea" kayak for the trip. The kayak is made from wood and fiberglass and is designed for straight trips, not the rapids of whitewater kayaking. He also constructed a seven-foot paddle to navigate the 1,700 miles of the Mississippi, Fox and Wisconsin rivers.

During his travels, Merline has been amazed at the support of communities along the route.

"They have been extremely receptive," he said. "They have offered their houses and I just had a nice breakfast at the campsite where I'd been staying.

Merline arrived in Cape Girardeau Monday afternoon after beginning the trip Aug. 31 from his home near Green Bay, Wis.

He travels about 35 miles each day, depending on the weather. The weather has been very good throughout the trip, raining only about three times, Merline said.

But traveling on the mighty Mississippi can still be dangerous, he said. "You have to watch for the wakes and waves. I'm very cautious. On this river there's a lot of traffic and it's very large."

To help sponsor Merline's voyage, write to the Honduran Health Exchange, c/o Brian Merline, 2070 Lost Dauphin Road, De Pere, Wis. 54115.