From St. Pete, he'll kayak the Mississippi

Kevin Lilly wants to paddle his way to cleaner water.

The St. Petersburg native recently started a campaign to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River to raise money for water-related charities. He called it "What About Blue?" to encourage people to think about water as a resource not to be taken for granted.

"Anywhere there's info about water, it's wrapped into the green movement,'' he said. "We say it deserves its own movement.''

Lilly and two professional guides plan to hit the river July 6 in Bemidji, Minn., and end Oct. 31 in New Orleans. Along the way, they'll visit about 100 cities, raising money and awareness about the global water crisis.

Lilly, 28, grew up near the water and has been kayaking for most of his life. He's not a professional, by any means, he said, but has always dreamed of paddling the Mighty Miss. He co-owns the Downtown Bloc, a networking site for downtown St. Petersburg businesses, residents and customers.

Proceeds of the trip will go to local and national groups involved in waterway cleanups, habitat restoration and pollution control. One-third will go toward building drinking water wells in Africa.

Five years in the making, the campaign aims to raise $5 a month for a year from 100 people in 50 cities — about $300,000. Lilly equates it to giving up one latte a month to help people without access to clean water, an estimated 1.2 billion.

Lilly and the guides, Brian Coggan and Sarahlee Lawrence, plan to kayak 30 to 40 miles a day, stopping every third day to promote their cause. They'll camp wherever they find a spot along the riverbank. If successful, "What About Blue?'' could become an annual trip.

"It's not about being a tree-hugging liberal,'' he said. "It's about being more responsible with our resources.''