Franchise Opportunities in Virginia Beach, VA

It has been attempted twice before without success. But Peter Harley is confident his attempt to row across the Atlantic this month will work. Harley plans to row solo and unescorted from Virginia Beach, Va., to La Trinité Sur-Mer, France as soon as conditions are favorable. The 61-year old Harley, who was born in South Africa but now resides in North Carolina, expects it will take him 3 or 4 months to complete his journey. He will be covering about 4,000 miles.

He will be rowing a 24-foot rowing scull named Wild Ride. The scull has actually crossed the ocean before, but with more than one person on board. The boat is equipped with a watertight cuddy cabin, solar power, fresh water system, and satellite communications. The boat will self right itself if it should get rolled over by a large wave. Harley described the carbon fiber oars as “extremely lightweight.”

He has been training for 28 months! Of course he has been rowing Wild Ride as much as possible, mostly on Lake Jordan in North Carolina. He also goes to the gym for strength training, and has been running to improve his endurance.

The most brutal part of the training is sleep deprivation. Harley plans to row for about two hours at a time, then take a break to eat, rest, and perhaps nap for an hour or two. He has been practicing that two-on-two-off schedule so he knows his body can take it. He won’t have the luxury of a full night’s sleep. “I know the training and practice have not been the same as actually being in the ocean, but this was as close as I could get to the actual conditions,” said Harley.

Wild Ride will weigh 1.2 tons at departure, as the boat will be full of supplies, especially food. Moving that much weight with oars seems almost impossible, but that is why good weather is critical. According to Harley, “I plan to leave with the ebb tide, also with favorable winds. I need at least two and a half days of perfect conditions to get the boat from Virginia Beach off the continental shelf to the gulf stream.”

His voyage is also a fundraiser. He hopes to raise a total of $750,000 for three separate charities. The first, called 5 Gyres, uses science, education, and advocacy to deal with plastic pollution in oceans. Next is the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to the childhood brain tumor community. Lastly, Best Friends Animal Society is a major animal welfare organization that hopes to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters by 2025. Best Friends operates the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States.

At the moment, Harley is planning to depart the Lynnhaven River during the week of May 15^th. You can find him on social media, and his track and status updates will be available on his website, northatlanticchallenge.com.

-Kendall Osborne

The couple's 4-month-old daughter is allergic to a certain protein often found in breast milk, so they rely on formula.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Courtney York, like a lot of mothers, works long hours which means she gets barely any time to spend with her daughter, Isla, before she puts her down to sleep.

York said much of her "free" time these days is spent searching for baby formula online.

"All of a sudden, we were like, 'Where is the formula?' We can't find anything," said York, who, along with other parents, has been posting about the nationwide shortage of formula on social media. Some people are posting in groups for parents, offering frozen breast milk to families in need.

In York's case, her daughter is allergic to a certain protein often found in breast milk and has to rely on a specific formula for food.

"She started to have adverse reactions, like she was having tummy issues, a lot of fussiness, and bowel movements," she explained.

York said she has to order formula online way in advance and pay a higher price than she's used to paying, pointing to one of her recent orders as an example.

"That was maybe three weeks ago and I'm still waiting for that to come in," said York. "When we first started buying it, we were spending $60, so it had already gone up. Now with the shortage, I can't even find the $60 can. So, I'm spending $33 on a can that is less than half the size of that one."

President Joe Biden announced his administration is working with big stores to get formula back on shelves faster. The president added he is working with states to make sure vulnerable families can better access to formula through their local Women, Infant, and Children program, also called "WIC."

York said she has to make difficult decisions and feed her daughter while she waits for the right product.

"I have to feed my child, so here I am giving her something that's upsetting her stomach, making it hard for her to sleep or have bowel movements," said York. "It's rough."

She said she hopes the Biden Administration searches for longer-term solutions not only to help fix the supply problem, but also help lower the price of formula.

Late Friday afternoon, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released the following statement about the formula shortage:

My administration remains engaged with industry leaders on their production capabilities, and the Virginia Department of Heath is working to ensure that there are adequate supplies of baby formula state-wide. Additionally, my administration has asked the FDA to utilize all resources to get the U.S. plant back into production as quickly as possible. Simply put, acquiring baby formula shouldn't be a challenge in the United States.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Grace and Gino Colombara have been biking, walking and working to end Alzheimer’s disease for decades as part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Longest Day campaign.

Grace Colombara told WAVY she wanted to up the ante this year.

“I thought… Oooh… Adding the swimming,” she said.

To which her husband Gino Colombara replied, “What, are you trying to kill me?”

Gino Colombara is executive director of the Southeastern Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. He says their event really resembles what the longest day is.

“It’s is about that strength, passion and endurance. My dad had the disease. I know what it’s like being a caregiver,” he said.

The couple will swim 22 laps, bike 21 miles and walk 6 miles to honor those living with the disease and their caregivers.

“This year, I think it really made a personal connection for me when my mother was diagnosed with memory loss,” Grace Colombara said.

Their “Tri For A Cure” has raised more than $3,800 already.

They encourage others to choose something they’re passionate about and turn it into a fundraiser, too.

“We have friends who make jams or jellies, other people who garden,” Grace Colombara said.

The fight doesn’t have to be physical, she said, but it should be fun.

“When I was in the pool, the lifeguard had to come over and say ‘Try a noodle,'” Gino Colombara said with a laugh.

He is not embarrassed to say he embraces that noodle as he does the cause.

“You do what it takes to caregive, and you do what it takes to complete this ‘Tri for a Cure,'” he said.

Gino Colombara will retire from the Alzheimer’s Association next month after 27 years on the job but he won’t stop supporting the organization or the fight to find a cure.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Several world records could be in the making, starting in Virginia Beach.

Peter Harley, originally from South Africa, is preparing to solo row in a boat from the East Coast of the U.S. to France.

He and his daughter, Bonnie Evans, say the trek is 4,000 miles.

"There are a few records that will come but that’s not the motivation at all. The motivation is the physical and mental challenge," Harley stated.

Harley moved to North Carolina from South Africa several years ago to be closer to his daughter and her family.

News 3 got a look at the vessel that Harley bought in 2020. It's not an old-fashioned rowboat! It has a water-tight sleeping cabin and is designed to turn right-side-up after capsizing.

Harley has already stocked the boat with "expedition food" like protein shake mixes, energy bars and oats sealed in vacuum-packed plastic. In fact, he said he's been eating that diet for nine months to get used to it.

The boat also has the capability to convert salt water to drinking water.

As far as the amount of time for the trip, Evans said they believe the worst-case scenario would be 120 days.

"No hesitations whatsoever - absolutely zero. I know what’s coming, and I’m happy to take it on," exclaimed Harley, "and I’m prepared. I’m prepared mentally and physically for it."

Up to 16 hours a day of rowing is what Harley anticipates.

"I would row for probably two hours at a time, then have an hour break. One hour of sleep, then back on another two hours."

Harley will be able to communicate with his daughter through satellite technology.

He arrived in Hampton Roads from his home base in Cary, North Carolina, earlier this month.

Evans said the launch is the most critical part. Harley intends to launch from the Lynnhaven Marina sometime during the first week of May, depending on conditions.

"I need to get the tides right and the supporting winds to get a really good start and a good launch," Harley explained.

The journey is also part of a fundraiser. Harley and his daughter chose three charities to donate to: 5 Gyres, which helps educate about plastic pollution; the Best Friends no-kill animal rescue; and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

The route can be viewed on their website, North Atlantic Challenge.

Evans said once her father arrives in France, she will meet him there for a celebration and some relaxation.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va .— The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School held a special Pitch Night for students.

It was a "Shark Tank"-style pitch complete with celebrity judges.

Student teams presented their business concepts before a panel of industry experts that included Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Kempsville High School alum and music producer Chad Hugo.

The students competed while also asking for funding for the specific amount of money they would need in order to launch their business.

At Tuesday's Pitch Night, students from the high school’s Entrepreneurship and Business Class presented their products and ideas.

The sophomore students entered the class in September and formed teams, and they have been working on developing their businesses since then.

Some of the pitches included Orcasunn, an environmentally friendly and organic sunscreen; Beauty Perfection, a company specializing in hair products and tools; and Port Power, a multipurpose portable charging port.

The teams even asked for funding at the end of their pitches, asking for an amount that would help them launch their companies while judges listened in and offered some advice for other students thinking about competing in the future.

“Just don’t give up. If they have a dream, to go for it because this took a long time. Our group went through a lot to get here,” said Jada Watts from Beauty Perfection, "and I just don’t want anybody to lose hope if they’re trying to do something.”

“Just like any team with multiple members, we’re going to have challenges, have disagreements - that’s common,” said Piper Van Gorder, part of Port Power’s team. “But what I found to be helpful - and all of the other students as well - is to have good communication, strong communication can be super helpful when we’re working out problems.”

The event was hosted by hotelier and developer Bruce Thompson.

He also donated a total of $25,000 to be given away to the students.