Flooded park means Viking Boat Race relocated inland

Well, the Viking boats are in dry-dock.

But there will still be plenty of fun to be had from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday during the third annual "Mighty Viking Boat Race and Family Fun Fest."

With Island Park still closed because of the recent storms, the Geneva Academic Foundation has had to move the fun afternoon for families to Wheeler Park. And since Wheeler Park isn't exactly along the Fox River, as Island Park is, GAF members have had to alter plans for the traditional boat race.

Previously, those miniature rubber boats were launched from the State Street bridge, to race toward the finish line at Island Park.

With no river available, boats will remain on shore. Instead the paper tickets that identify the different boat owners will be placed in a raffle ticket cage and winners will simply be pulled from that. First prize is a diamond and yellow sapphire ring donated from State Street Jewelers. Second prize is an overnight stay at Pheasant Run "with all the fixings," said GAF President Laurie Grant. And third prize is an overnight stay at the Hyatt in Lombard, including dinner and tickets to Drury Lane. That prize has been donated by WBIG-AM 1280 radio.

Before drawing those "big prize" winners, an individual winner from each of the district's eight schools will be drawn.

There also has been a separate "rubber duck" race among the Geneva schools, with a $500 donation going to the PTO of the winning school. That race is sponsored by the DuPage Credit Union.

Those ducks will be using their wings this year. GAF members plan to use a balloon launcher and instead launch the rubber ducks. Envision a giant rubber band, held by two people, with someone in the middle stretching the band to help propel an item into the wild blue yonder.

Ducks will be launched from home plate at the Wheeler Park ball field, toward the outfield. "We'll see who goes farthest," said Grant, adding, "It's a matter of luck and agility combined." Building principals or PTO representatives will be doing the launching. (All I can say, as PTO co-president at Geneva High School, is that I sure hope Principal Tom Rogers plans to offer a competitive edge to our high school duck. He's a lot taller than I am ...)

The afternoon also includes a raffle with tickets priced at $10 each. First prize is a 42-inch plasma television set donated by Grant's Appliances. (The store is no relation to GAF's Grant.) Second prize is $1,000 cash and third prize is $500 cash.

The afternoon also includes plenty of fun, with a bungee run, a huge inflatable for jumping, a dunk tank, face painting, temporary tattoos, picnic games such as a three-legged race and an egg toss, and a variety of fun fair games on loan from the various schools. Talented students will be on hand, too, with music provided by a band composed of eighth-graders and another of high school students.

"Everything's free," said Grant. "The only thing we're charging for is the dunk tank." GAF organizers are also still lining up dunk tank "victims," which so far include Terry Bleau, principal at Geneva Middle School South, and Josh Reitz, assistant principal at Geneva Middle School North.

Food will be available for purchase.

A silent auction, meanwhile, will feature Geneva treasures. These include front-row seating or reserved parking for various school events, lunch with principals and a very popular city favorite, a ride with Santa in the horse-drawn carriage during the Christmas Walk tree-lighting.

The whole afternoon is about fun and family, Grant said. "We want families to come out and have fun, while we raise awareness about GAF," she said. "So many people don't know who and what we are."

What they are is a district-wide organization dedicated to helping provide extras -- and lots of them -- to all the schools.

Last year GAF provided more than $56,000 in grants to the schools, including for both traditional academic classes and the arts. That money is raised via donations and through activities such as the Mighty Viking Boat Race.

The switch in locations has meant, of course, a lot of last-minute changes for GAF members and organizers. But members found a silver lining in the storm clouds that let loose Aug. 23 and flooded Island Park: the willingness of the entire community to bail out the organization.

"I'm just amazed at how everybody has rallied behind us," said Grant. Geneva Park District Director Steve Persinger was on the phone immediately, she said, saying, "Let's think about what we can do; how can we help?"

"Everybody has been so incredible. And that has to say something about this little community of ours."

Indeed it does. Join in the fun Saturday at Wheeler Park, on the west side, off of Stevens Street. There's no river, true, but the dunk tank will provide some water-based entertainment. And the fun will all be there just the same.

For boats and raffle tickets, visit http://www.gafgeneva.org/events%20(boatrace).htm.