A man in the Come By Chance area completed a historic row in a dory last Friday which took one back in time.

Ron White is the great-great grandson of John Gilbert. Each year he dresses as his ancestor and hosts guided hikes on the Cleary Hiking Trail in Come By Chance.

This year, he re-created a dory ride that his grandmother did 95 years ago after finding herself alone in a dory at night. Pregnant at the time, she had to row to the nearest neighbour after her father-in-law died.

White raised about $2,200 for the Salvation Army Food Bank in Arnold’s Cove.

He thanks everyone who contributed and who came out to support him. He says they came from all over—Come by Chance, Musgravetown, Whitbourne, Sunnyside, Clarenville, Georges Brook and Victoria, British Columbia. He’s collecting donations until the end of the week.

White wants to make the row annual event, to keep the story alive and support the food bank. He says he’s already heard from others around the community that plan to join him next year and he’s encouraging anyone with a dory, kayak, or canoe to come out.