In the early months of 2003, the Karanas Care Association Committee and its founder Ms. Helen Fong Seeto were thinking of ways to raise much need funds for its projects and they came up with the idea of a paddle-athon around New Hanover in the New Ireland Province.

Due to the weather being usually good during the months of June and July, it was decided that the paddle-athon would start on Monday the 14th of July 2003. The parameter of New Hanover Island is approximately 135.3 miles therefore they anticipated that the paddle-athon would take them at least six days to paddle around as no-one had really ever done that before, however it took 41 paddlers, three of which were female paddlers, only 35 hours and 15 minutes to complete. Thirty-nine of the paddlers were local paddlers from New Hanover Island as well as its surrounding islands and two of the female paddlers were Daphne Kaven-Westley and Lizzie Aihi from the Port Moresby Outrigging Canoe Club.

Six locally made canoe were used during the paddle-athon and the 41 paddlers took turns to paddle every two - three hours. Two speed boats filled with food, drinks, medical kits, extra petrol, etc followed the canoes at all times checking and making sure that the paddlers were well hydrated and okay to paddle. During the paddle-athon most of the paddlers admired the costal views from out at sea inland, as some of the paddlers from the north had never seen the south and vice versa.

The main purpose for the idea of holding a paddle-athon every year was to initially raise funds for Karanas Care Association as they are a Non-Governmental Organisation that relies solely on donations from business houses and individuals. KCA are now also trying to promote Tourism in New Ireland Province as well as give a chance to the locals to meet each other, make new friends and have a good time during the paddle-athon. KCA would like to make this event bigger and better each year but can only do it with the support of the Provincial Government, business houses, individuals, locals and tourists. The Karanas Care Association of New Ireland will be staging yet another paddle-athon around New Hanover Island on Friday the 23rd of July 2004 which is also Remembrance Day. As the distance is approximately 135.3 kilometres our aim this year is to complete the paddle-athon in less than 35 hours compared to last year's time of 35 hours and 15 minutes.

The paddle-athon is being staged once again to raise funds for the Agriculture Development Projects that Karanas Care has for New Ireland, which commenced in 2002. The agriculture involves farming of three crops namely Vanilla, Cocoa, and Rice by families in New Ireland. Other projects that KCA will be looking into in the future for the people of New Ireland are Tapioca Farming, Crab Farming, Prawn Farming, Crocodile Farming and Pearl Farming. In order to make this possible, Karanas Care Association will need funds and that is where our fundraising drives come in.

The paddle-athon will once again be undertaken under the leadership of Karanas Care Association's Founder and President, Ms. Helen Seeto who will lead a paddling team of about 40 - 50 paddlers that will be made up of both local paddlers as well as paddlers from the Port Moresby Outrigging Club and their friends. The paddle-athon will commence at Kulik Island, the home of Karanas Care Association's President Ms. Helen Fong Seeto and will also end at Kulik Island. The paddlers will be accompanied by several speedboats, which will carry the team's food supplies, beddings, Medical Kit etc. Karanas Care Association as well as the people of New Ireland Province would highly appreciate all the support they can get from anyone who is kind enough to assist in both cash and kind. Your assistance will most definitely better the lives of families in New Ireland Province who rely on cash crops for their well-being.