Minn. man makes way down Mississippi to raise money for organization

Erich Mische is raising money for Spare Key — a “helping hand” not-for-profit he has headed as executive director for nearly nine years — by floating down the Mississippi River in a 1,700-mile, two-month, 10-state journey from his home in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mische, 57, admits he didn’t know the first thing about boating when he started the odyssey Aug. 27, pointing out to a visitor a St. Christopher’s medal hanging prominently inside the pontoon’s cabin.

St. Christopher is said to be the patron saint of all travelers.

“I think [Christopher] also helps idiots on the river,” said Mische, who said he was once chief of staff to former Minnesota U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman.

A sense of financial desperation pushed Mische into his epic river adventure aboard a ship he calls S.S. Hail Mary.

Erich Mische leaves the S.S. Hail Mary at a dock Monday in Cape Girardeau. Mische plans to depart Cape Girardeau on Tuesday to travel to Cairo, Illinois.Sarah Yenesel

“Thanks to the pandemic, Spare Key hasn’t been able to hold fundraising events, meaning we have seen a loss in revenue of at least $500,000,” he said.

Mische said the trip so far has brought in “not quite half” of a $250,000 goal.

Helping hand

Spare Key, Mische said, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with a mission to provide families with the monetary support they need to pay major bills in the cases of critical illness or serious injury.

“We help with meeting mortgage and utility payments, student loans, even funeral expenses,” said Mische, who said Spare Key has aided 4,000 families to date with nearly $4 million of debt.

Mische said part of his morning routine is preparing the boat for the journey and saying the Pledge of Allegiance, which is displayed above the bow entrance. To the left of the entrance is a St. Christopher necklace given to Mische that is hung as a symbol of protection.Sarah Yenesel

“Some is housing-related, but we have also dealt with significant medical crises, too,” he said.

Spare Key is a charity in “good standing” with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, having registered Nov. 21 with a 19-person board of directors.

Mische said Spare Key is authorized to operate in every state except Louisiana.

“I have registration papers ready to file when we get to Baton Rouge Oct. 22,” he said.

Making the journey

Mische said he has thought “many times” about ending the trip after nearly capsizing half a dozen times so far.

“About a week in, a large pleasure boat passed me and created such a wave that my whole craft nearly turned over,” Mische said.

“I was literally trembling,” he said, adding the passage through busy St. Louis was especially difficult for his small, 24-foot long, 8-foot wide pontoon.

“Most people have been extraordinarily kind along the way,” Mische said, noting that while he sleeps most of the time on the boat, he does accept offers for lodging.

“Complete strangers have come up to me and offered to put me up in a hotel or in their own homes,” he said.

Count John McGowan of Cape Girardeau in that grouping.

“I like as a donor that 100% of a gift to Spare Key goes directly to pay a family’s identified debt, goes straight to a creditor,” said McGowan, who works in commercial banking for Commerce Bank.

“It gives me confidence that my donation won’t be abused,” he said.

The boat

Mische said his riverboat home is no Taj Mahal on the water.

“The pontoon decking is 52 years old and was originally rotted out,” he said, adding his cabin is a garden shed obtained from a well-known home improvement store.

The interior of Mische’s cabin has Wi-Fi capability, allowing him to submit a weekly column about his trip to his home newspaper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He also has several cameras, allowing livestreaming.

The family

Mische said he sold his wife, Mary-Helen, on the project by drawing up a 15-page memo.

Mary-Helen has not joined him on the trip and made one request: that he not name the pontoon after her.

Mische said that since shoving off from St. Paul in late August, he has missed his 24th wedding anniversary and the birthdays of his daughter and son.

The message

Mische said thanks to the coronavirus, people are hurting all over, with many struggling to pay bills.

He said he hopes his journey brings hope to those who learn of his river escapade.

“I want them to believe there are much better days ahead,” he said.

What’s next

Mische plans to lift anchor today and will set sail for his next stop, 50 miles down the river at Cairo, Illinois.

“I start every morning by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance,” he said, saying a set routine helps pass the time.

The final stop, Baton Rouge, is an estimated 16 days away.

Only one thing will deter him from finishing the trip.

“If a hurricane comes up from the Gulf, I’ll get off the river right away,” Mische said.

The name

“Spare Key” seems an odd name for a not-for-profit but Mische explained the name succinctly.

“Think of the relief you have when you lock yourself out of your house and you remember a spare key is tucked away under the flowerpot,” he said.

“This organization is that ‘spare key,’ and we aim to bring relief — not just financially, but emotionally too,” Mische said.

Contact

To donate, become involved or learn more visit www.hopeontheriver.com.