Florida Man Sets off on 5,500-Mile Pontoon Journey To Help Kids’ Medical Charity

Darren Hayes launched his pontoon boat on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, from Tierra Verde Marina Resort, intending to raise $100,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.

"I'm camping on it for four months, and I'm sacrificing my comfortable night stays to raise funds so that families can stay in a hotel comfortably throughout the duration of their stay," said Hayes to Fox 13 News.

His water path stretches from Florida's coast to New York City's harbor, then circles back to Treasure Island. Each day brings 80 to 90 miles of open water beneath his hull.

The money will boost five Tampa Bay Ronald McDonald Houses. Bryanna Tramontana, Associate Director of Corporate and Community Engagement, told Fox 13 News: "Our mission is to remove barriers of access to health care for families when their children are receiving life-saving medical treatment, and barriers could be a lot of different things."

Each night a family stays costs the charity $100. These houses give parents a bed while their kids fight through medical battles.

The spark for this mission came after Hayes watched friends lose their daughter to brain cancer. That family asked for donations to the Ronald McDonald House, grateful for the support during their darkest days.

This marks his third charity quest. Before this, he steered a tractor from Florida to Michigan and also drove an old 1948 Ford across 48 states, both times gathering funds for the same cause.

Worldwide Yacht Sales in Tierra Verde provided the boat. Now Hayes wants the public's ideas for naming it.

Cape Coral will be his first port. Supporters can track his path and give through his website and social media.