KINGSTON -- A day of mixed emotions for a group of eastern Ontario kayakers, as they celebrate a major milestone this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kayaking for Cancer raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

This week would have marked the event’s 20th anniversary, but the group of more than 30 kayakers were forced to cancel the event during the pandemic.

Instead, on Saturday, a small group gathered outside the Cataraqui Canoe Club in Kingston to mark the occasion, and to remember those who have been lost to cancer.

"I lost my grandfather, my poppa Ron in 2007," says 16-year-old Dannika Dionne, becoming emotional. "He died three days before my birthday."

She says even more than a decade on, she and her sister Jaime Ronn, who was named after him, still feel the loss in their family.

"I paddle because a part of me will never be the same," she says.

"That’s why we paddle, because we want to show those that we care and they’ll never be forgotten because they meant too much to us."

Andrew Gailbraith says he was getting ready to join the Kayaking for Cancer group in 2004 for the first time, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

He’s now healthy, but says it sticks with you.

"It’s something that’s always in the back of your mind," Gailbraith says. "You think, just now, even what’s going on in the world of COVID, right? You wonder if your immune system is up even after 15 years."

He says lots of special friendships have been made. He was even looking forward to his two teenage daughters joining this year for the first time.

"It’s something you look forward to," Gailbraith explains. "You look at the water and there should be 30, 40 kayaks in the water... normally coming down the highway usually you see people with kayaks on their cars and you recognize them, you know they’re coming here, and that wasn’t there this year."

A day marked by sadness for loved ones lost, but also joy at seeing friends for another year.

Over the years, the group says they’ve paddled 149 days, and covered over 3,800 kilometres.

The route, from Kingston to Ottawa along the Rideau Canal, runs over eight days.

"It’s beautiful this time of year, and to do it with people that you may only see once a year," he says. "It’s pretty incredible."

Dannika Dionne agrees.

"We play cards, and we have so many fun jokes," Dionne says. "Obviously it’s a very emotional experience, but it can also be so much fun."

With this year under the pandemic, the event has gone virtual.

This year, they will drive the route and stop at what would have been their normal rest locations. Organizers are also encouraging people who cannot join to go online and look at old photos from previous years.

Founder Kevin Dionne says it is about doing what they can right now.

"We want to show people with cancer we care and we’ll never forget those we’ve lost," Dionne explains. "Without doing this, I thought I might be letting people down."

The group was hoping to raise $1 million in 2020, but having raised just about $800,000 of that so far, Kevin Dionne says he is proud.

"I'd really like to try to do it next year," he says. "I really, really would."