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Lehigh County Resident On A Kayak Journey Paddles Through Philadelphia

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - He's half-way there.  A Lehigh county kidney recipient -- on a 200 mile kayaking trip to the  Atlantic ocean -- paddled into Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. It's an effort to promote the importance of being an organ donor.

Larry Rafes, 60, began his "Make A Splash" journey in Allentown on Friday, August 17th and paddles about 20 miles each day. He received a kidney transplant about a year and a half ago.

"I started exercising for this, working out for about six months. Now and I get to about 18 miles in this and I'm thinking to myself I'm doing pretty well. This is amazing so it's what can happen  when somebody decided to be an organ donor they saved my life."

Larry plans tp reach he Atlantic ocean on August 26th.

For more information about organ donation go to www.donors1.org and to check on Larry's progress go to www.make-a-splash.org

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