Rochester, N.Y. - A drive from Buffalo to Albany can seem long.
Now imagine rowing those 340 miles.
Members of the McQuaid Jesuit High School crew team will row the length of the Erie Canal to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes research.
"We are used to a 2k and a 5k and this is more like a 544k," said McQuaid crew member Andrew Dardaris.
"It's like jogging at a slow pace for eight hours a day," McQuaid crew member Loudon Blake said.
So how did such a long, physically demanding journey come about?
One of McQuaid's biggest rivals, Canisius High School, challenged the team to row the Erie Canal with them.
"I think we are going to learn to work together and become close friends," said McQuaid's Greg Klumpp.
"This is for a really good cause and no matter how long it is it's good to help people," said McQuaid's Tommy Davis.
McQuaid is trying to raise $50,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Steven DiFiore will be rowing for one of his friends who has diabetes.
"I'm really excited to be able to row for him and kind of use that as motivation when we get tired," DiFiore said.
The rowers know it's going to be a tiring trip, but well worth the cause.
"We can't really stop because we already agreed to do it for a cause so we just have to keep going," said McQuaid's Cameron Pizzo. "So it will be nice to think about that along the way and think wow, we actually get to help people doing this."
The rowers will start their journey in the Buffalo area on Thursday.
