Parksville REALTOR® Ken Droog and his team of kite board enthusiasts have passed the halfway point in their ongoing fundraising efforts for the BC Children’s Hospital. Droog and as many as four other kite boarders are hoping to ride the waves from Nanaimo to Davis Bay near Sechelt and then return to Vancouver Island near Parksville sometime in the next few weeks – all on the same day. The group has currently raised more than $5,500 of their $10,000 financial target. “For our first year we are pleased with our progress and the excellent support shown by the Vancouver Island business community for this cause,” Droog explained in a recent media release. The return trip across the Georgia Strait has even attracted the attention of celebrity billionaire and kite boarding practitioner Sir Richard Branson who had been invited to participate. Branson, who declined the chance to take part did accept an honorary membership in the group’s Kiting for Kids organization and offered his written encouragement to the adventurers. To learn more about the group and its goals interested individuals are encouraged to visit: http://kitingforkids.com/.