COLUMBIA -- Derek Hutton is not your typical high school senior. 

Four years ago his dad bought him a kayak and now the Brookland Cayce senior is using it for a cause.

He'll spend his spring break paddling 170 miles from Columbia to Charleston.  He's hoping to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, after hearing about it at a USC football game.

“They all had on Wounded Warrior Project uniforms on and it inspired me to go to the website and it was a good charity to do it to help out all of our wounded service men,” Hutton says.

Hutton will be joined by his father, a former Marine, and a Columbia River guide for the 170 mile trek. The team plans to head out early Saturday morning and travel 35 miles on the first leg of the trip.

“The first two day we’re likely not to see anyone but ourselves so it's very desolate out there.  It's fun but it definitely takes a toll on you,” Hutton adds.

The Wounded Warrior Project has been helping seriously injured service men and women for several years the non profit organization hopes they can help make the public more aware of these soldiers needs, but most importantly they want to honor those who have been injured on the battlefield.

Hutton says, “You get an appreciation it’s a way of giving back to the people who have spent there time and even lives in Iraq”.

Hutton hopes his trek down the river makes a difference in someone’s life.