SANDPOINT — Jon Totten has been a professional sailor for over 20 years, and while working on boats in different parts of the world, he discovered the healing power of sailing.

“Sailboats are magic,” said Totten. “They really do help people feel better. There’s something about the combination of wind and water and motion that really holds people in the moment and gives them relief from whatever is ailing them.” 

Time and again, Totten watched sailing transform lives. At the same time, he realized just how exclusive that opportunity was for many. 

As he drove his $2 million boat through shantytowns, Totten saw a stark contrast: people were suffering and living on the street. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business Totten had worked with shut down, and he felt burned out. 

That's when Totten decided to create Dogsmile Adventures, a Sandpoint-based nonprofit dedicated to providing therapeutic sailing experiences. 

Totten launched the nonprofit out of his own pocket, cashing out his retirement account to bring a sailboat from the Caribbean to Lake Pend Oreille. 

The organization has operated since 2021 and is wrapping up its sixth season providing therapeutic sailing in North Idaho. 

To commemorate its growth and continued support, Dogsmile Adventures will host its second annual “Sail-a-palooza,” a fundraising event to support the organization’s mission of changing lives through the power of sailing, Sept. 19 at Matchwood Brewing Company. 

“The event, really, is our way of saying thank you to the community,” said Totten. 

The event is free, but Totten said there will be several opportunities throughout the night to give back, including raffles, paddle raises and VIP table reservations. 

“One of my challenges with a lot of fundraisers is that they’re very exclusive,” said Totten. “If you don’t have a bunch of money to give, it’s hard to feel welcome.” 

With inclusivity as one of the organization’s core values, Totten said he hopes that keeping the event free will encourage participants to celebrate the end of the sailing season and share stories from the water. 

“You can come and sit at the picnic table and enjoy the music, and you don’t have to spend a penny if you don’t want to,” Totten said. 

He has seen the program improve lives across several groups of individuals, including the veteran population, who often grapple with substance abuse and loneliness. 

“Sailing gives the veteran community a place where they get together with other veterans who understand them and can empathize with what they’re going through,” Totten said.

When it comes to who gets to sail, Totten said the program is open to anyone willing.

"We've had wheelchair users. We've had a program with the senior center," Totten said.

Totten said the program is tailored to "tune the experience to the population." Sometimes, participants who respond well to teamwork and competition are racing sailboats with each other.

Other times, the sailboat coasts along the water, allowing participants to enjoy the sun's warmth. 

The program was modeled after equine therapy, and while it is decades ahead of therapeutic sailing, Totten said it’s “the same model, just a different instrument.” 

Since equine therapy has had great success helping people with physical and mental disabilities, Totten was confident sailing would yield the same outcome. 

“We just took the horse out and put the sailboat in, and it’s largely the same,” Totten said.