>>> THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE TO HELP WHEN
THEY FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT A CA SOME MIGHT VOLUNTEER THEIR
TIME, WHILE OTHERS MAY MAKE A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION.
BUT WHEN KARI KASTANGO DECIDED TO
RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HER LOVE OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, SHE
CHOSE TO DO IT IN A UNIQUE WAY -- BY SWIMMING THE ENTIRE LENGT
SHE IS CURRENTLY IN YEAR TWO OF HER GOAL, AND PRODUCER DAVE
FRASER CAUGHT UP WITH HER AND ANDREW FISK FROM THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY TO BRING US THE STORY.
>> THE CONNECTICUT RIVER IS NEW ENGLAND'S GREAT RIVER.
IT'S 410 MILES LONG, GOES THROUGH HUNDREDS OF
COMMUNITIES IN FOUR STATES AND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, IT HAS
SUSTAINED HUMAN COMMUNITIES, SUSTAINED ECOLOGICAL
COMMUNITIES.
IT HAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON HOW WE LIVE OUR
LIVES, HOW WE ENJOY OUR LIVES, THE QUALITY OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
AND THE QUALITY OF OUR ECONOMY.
IT IS AN ENGINE OF SO MUCH OF THE VALLEY, ALONG ALL
410 MILES.
>> ANDREW FISKE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN
AROUND SINCE 1952.
ITS MISSION IS TO BE A VOICE FOR THE CONNECTICUT RIVER
WATERSHED, FROM SOURCE TO SEA.
THEY RELY ON EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THAT MISSION, FROM
VOLUNTEERING THEIR TEAM, DONATING THEIR MONEY AND IN
THE CASE OF KARA, SWIMMING ALL 410 MILES.
>> A STORY WORTH TELLING, IT'S ALSO A REALLY PORT OF THIS.
KARI HAS SAID I WANT MY PERSONAL CHALLENGE TO HELP MY
ORGANIZATION IN THE RIVER.
WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, THERE IS
SOCIAL MEDIA TRAFFIC ON IT.
HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS STORY.
>> SHE BEGAN HER JOURNEY TWO YEARS AGO AND EACH SUMMER FROM
MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY, SHE SWIMS SEGMENTS OF THE RIVER.
THIS SUMMER SHE COVERED THE MASSACHUSETTS PORTION,
80 MILES FROM JUST ABOVE THE VERNON DAM IN VERMONT TO THAT
CONNECTICUT.
>> ORIGINALLY, IT WAS JUST GETTING INTO THE RIVER TO
SWIM, RATHER THAN SWIMMING IN JUST ONE SPOT.
I THEN DECIDED TO SWIM SEGMENTS, AND THEN I REALIZED,
LET'S GO FOR THE WHOLE RIVER.
>> YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF, IS IT SAFE TO SWIM IN THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER?
IF YOU ASK THAT QUESTION 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO, THAT ANSWER MAY
WELL HAVE BEEN NO.
TODAY, THANKS TO THE WORK OF THE CRC, THE RIVER IS CLEANER
THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.
>> 1952, WHEN THERE WAS RAW SEWAGE RUNNING IN THE RIVER
AND MUNICIPAL TRASH WAS DUMPED, CITIZENS, LOCAL
OFFICIALS SAID WE ARE TIRED OF THIS, THIS IS NOT GOOD
ENOUGH.
SO WE ARE INCREDIBLY HOPEFUL.
WE REASSURED THE DIFFERENCES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT IN
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND KLING THE RIVER UP HAS
MADE A DIFFERENCE.
>> SHE SWIMS WITH A SET OF SEVEN NORWEGIAN COINS SHE GOT
ON A RECENT TRIP TO NORWAY WITH HER MOM.
SHE WEARS THEM AROUND HER NECK AS INSPIRATION DURING HER LONG
JOURNEY.
>> IT'S A SYMBOL OF HERITAGE AND FAMILY AND HELP MOTIVATE
ME.
MY INTENT IS TO GIVE THESE SEVEN COINS AWAY AT THE END TO
SAY, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT, BUT ALSO TO SHOW THAT
IF EVER THEY NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING, THEM OR THEIR LOVED
ONES, THEY CAN COME TO ME AND I'LL GO THE DISTANCE FOR
THEM.
>> NEXT YEAR WHEN MEMORIAL DAY COMES AROUND, SHE PLANS TO BE
BACK IN THE RIVER, CONTINUING HER JOURNEY TO RAISE
AWARENESS, ENJOY A SPORT SHE LOVES AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR
A BODY OF WATER SHE LOVES.
>> IF I CAN TURN MY PASSION FOR SWIMMING TO HELP RAISE
AWARENESS AS WELL AS HELP CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE RIVER,
THEN I'M HAPPY TO DO MY SMALL PART.
>> IT'S INSPIRING TO US THAT NEW ENGLAND'S GREAT RIVER
MOTIVATES PEOPLE FOR THESE PERSONAL CHALLENGES AND THAT
THESES PERSONAL CHALLENGES CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE
WIDER RIVER AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.