Stand UptoFood Allergies
Finding balance. Making waves.
845-board target. One world record attempt. June 12, 2027.
I'm Hudson. I'm 14. I stand up to food allergies every single day, by eating the thing that could kill me to teach my body not to. It's a balancing act, and it's scary. The one place it isn't scary is on a paddleboard. So this summer I'm getting as many people as I can out on the water to break a world record, raise money so other kids can get the treatment I got, and make some noise about a disease most people can't even see.
Countdown to June 12, 2027
Event details
- Date
- Saturday, June 12, 2027
- Time
- 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago)
- Location
- Minneapolis Lake of the Isles
- Target
- 845 boards
- Goal
- $25,000 for kids with food allergies
- Weather backup
- Sunday, June 13, 2027, 8:30 a.m. Central
Hudson's story
I was little. Someone handed me a peanut butter cookie at a party.
Nobody used an EpiPen. Nobody called an ambulance. My parents put me in the car and drove.
I threw up the whole way there.
I spent the next four days in the ICU.
What that day did to me, after
Here is the part I never told many people. That car seat sat in our basement for months while my parents tried to clean it. Every time I walked past it, I was back in the car.
That is what a food allergy really is. It is not the list of foods you can't eat. It is the fear that comes after, the thing in the basement you keep walking past.
Then I started training. I eat the thing that could kill me. On purpose. A little more every time, climbing toward something called food freedom.
The top is food freedom. But it's narrow, like the edge of Half Dome. One slip and it's anaphylaxis. So every single day, I balance.
Balancing up on that mountain every day is exactly why a paddleboard feels easy.
Fall off a board and you just get wet. Slip on the mountain and it's an emergency.
Out here, the scary part disappears. The water is the one place I get to just stand up.
"Stand up" has meant three things my whole life.
On June 12, 2027, I get to do all three at once.
So I'm getting a ton of people out on the water.
An 845-board target. Kids, parents, neighbors. The whole lake turned teal, the food allergy community’s color. We make some noise about a disease most people can't even see, and raise money for kids with food allergies. Hudson picked Children's Minnesota, FARE and its Teal Pumpkin Project, and the Southern California Food Allergy Institute. Every dollar goes to kids with food allergies through them.
Why a world record? Because it's big and a little crazy, and that's how you get hundreds of people to show up on the same morning. The record is 844. We need 845. One more than anyone's ever done. Plus, breaking a world record is just cool.
Where we paddle.
Minneapolis Lake of the Isles · Saturday, June 12, 2027. Planned: four launch areas on nearby lakes, converging on Lake of the Isles for a parade loop around Mike's Island. Launch areas, parking and the route shown here are planned and subject to final event instructions.
- 1
Cedar Lake · South & Point Beaches
Park on nearby streets. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
- 2
Lake of the Isles · east shore
Park on East/West Isles streets. Launch straight into the loop.
- 3
Bde Maka Ska · North Beach (W Lake St)
Park on nearby streets. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
- 4
Bde Maka Ska · 32nd Street
Park on W 31st to 34th. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
This map shows the current plan. The final route, launch assignments and safety arrangements are subject to approval and final event instructions.
This is bigger than one kid on one board.
American kids has a food allergy. That's about two kids in every classroom, on every team, at every birthday party.
Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone in the US to the emergency room.
Cures exist today. But treatments are pushing the ball up the mountain for thousands of kids right now, and research needs fuel.
$25 registers a paddler. First goal: 200 boards by GivingTuesday.
Every $25 registers one paddler with their own board. The first goal is $5,000 (200 boards) by GivingTuesday, December 1, 2026, then $25,000 and 845 boards.
Hudson picked Children's Minnesota, FARE and its Teal Pumpkin Project, and the Southern California Food Allergy Institute. Every dollar goes to kids with food allergies through them. Payments go to Stand Up to Food Allergies, which passes them on, so they are not tax-deductible.
Three ways to stand up
Stand up for a kid, at any level.
Pick an amount on Givebutter. That's your registration.
The fine print, minus the fine
Do I need to be an experienced paddler?
Participant requirements and equipment availability are still being confirmed. Please review the approved participant instructions before deciding to paddle.
When and where is it?
Saturday, June 12, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago) at Minneapolis Lake of the Isles. Launch areas and the route are planned and subject to final event instructions.
How does registration work?
Pay on Givebutter. That's it. $25 registers one paddler with your own board and $75 registers one paddler who borrows a board. Registering a family or group? Pick the amount that covers everyone and tell us how many are paddling. We'll email board numbers, the waiver and launch details before the event. Checkout asks for your email and phone and one required box for event updates, so we can reach you about board numbers, parking, launch spots and weather calls.
Does a donation register me to paddle?
Yes. Every $25 registers one paddler. If you're only giving, choose 0 paddlers at checkout.
Who pays for safety and support on the water?
Safety, medical and on-water support arrangements, including how they are provided and funded, are still being finalized. Approved details will be shared before the event.
What does it cost?
$25 with your own board, $75 with a borrowed board.
What world record is this, exactly?
We are attempting the Largest parade of stand up paddleboards (SUPs). Our target is 845 boards on the Minneapolis Lake of the Isles. The record for the largest parade of stand up paddleboards is 844, set in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 10, 2017. Any result remains subject to verification.
What counts for the record?
Our target is 845 stand-up paddleboards in one continuous parade. Record requirements, counting and verification are still being finalized. Any record result remains subject to verification.
What's the victory loop?
The planned parade loop circles Mike's Island in Lake of the Isles. The final route remains subject to approval and final event instructions.
What if the weather is bad?
The weather backup is Sunday, June 13, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago). Weather decisions and final instructions will be shared before the event.
Where can I find the safety plan?
Safety and medical arrangements are still being finalized. Approved participant instructions will be published before the event.
Can I just donate without paddling?
Yes. Choose 0 paddlers at checkout. Hudson picked Children's Minnesota, FARE and its Teal Pumpkin Project, and the Southern California Food Allergy Institute. Every dollar goes to kids with food allergies through them.
Where does the money go?
Hudson picked Children's Minnesota, FARE and its Teal Pumpkin Project, and the Southern California Food Allergy Institute. Every dollar goes to kids with food allergies through them. Givebutter charges this campaign no fees.
Is my payment tax-deductible?
Where things stand today: Stand Up to Food Allergies is a family-run effort led by Hudson, 14, and his parents, and it is not a nonprofit. We are lining up a nonprofit partner to hold the money so gifts can be tax-deductible, and we have asked each charity Hudson picked to confirm. Until that is in place, payments are not tax-deductible, and we will post the news here the day it changes. Event costs are paid separately by the family's business, so every dollar raised goes to the charities. Changed your mind? Email hudsonklein2031@gmail.com any time before June 27, 2027 and we'll refund your payment.
Register to paddle
Saturday, June 12, 2027 · launch 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago) · Minneapolis Lake of the Isles. Weather backup: Sunday, June 13, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. Central.
Registering is paying on Givebutter. $25 per paddler with your own board, $75 with a borrowed board. Answer one question: how many people are paddling. Checkout asks for your email and phone and one required box for event updates, so we can reach you about board numbers, parking, launch spots and weather calls.