Aurora's cardboard regatta to benefit Fox Valley United Way
If paper ships can sail along swimmingly in a stream, the contestants in the What Floats Your Cardboard Boat Race figure there's no reason cardboard canoes, catamarans and rafts can't do the same, even with a few people aboard.
Twenty cardboard watercraft will take to Mastodon Lake in Aurora for a race Saturday, betting against the probability that soggy cardboard will become submerged cardboard.
The event, in its sixth year, launches Fox Valley United Way's annual fundraising campaign. The nonprofit agency, which supports a list of area charitable groups, aims to raise $1.5 million this year, spokeswoman Deborah Collins said.
In the past, boaters took their creatively designed craft to the Fox River.
"Last year, four days before the event, we had all these rains that caused all that flooding," Collins said. "The Fox River was closed for recreational purposes."
The city of Aurora, she said, suggested the race be moved to the lake in Phillips Park.
"That was an absolute blessing because that was a perfect venue for the event," she said.
Race day will include live music, clowns, face painting, free health screenings from Provena Mercy Medical Center, a raffle and information booths manned by representatives from 15 of the health and human services agencies supported by the United Way. The raffle winner will get a free one-year health club membership.
Boats must be constructed of cardboard, held together with duct tape and made water-resistant with a sealant, she said. This year, there are two categories: human-powered boats and mechanical boats, a new twist added to the festivities.
Collins said several company teams, including crews from Caterpillar and NICOR, are registered to race, along with teams from the Aurora police and fire departments.
There's also last year's winner, Vicki Marques from the Aurora Township Youth Center, coming back with a team from the center in an attempt to repeat as champion.
And there are no fewer than three teams from Hesed House, an Aurora shelter for homeless people. Collins said Hesed House residents and staff are working together to build seaworthy vessels.
"Three teams developed," said Hesed House Executive Director Ryan Dowd, who is building a boat with his 9-year-old son, Cameron, and fellow Hesed House staff member Jason Holmes.
Dowd said competition among the three Hesed House teams is keen. One team member actually drew up blueprints for a boat; another made a miniature mock-up.
"They've already determined that my boat's going to be the first one to sink," he said. "It ought to be a pretty ugly boat. We'll probably wear life jackets."
Dowd said he and his son witnessed the race last year and his son urged him to enter this time around.
"It's actually quite something to see," Dowd said. "It's got quite a festival atmosphere."
If you go
What: Sixth annual What Floats Your Cardboard Boat Race
Why: To launch the annual fundraising campaign for Fox Valley United Way
When: Boat check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, first race begins at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Mastodon Lake in Phillips Park, Aurora
Info: (630) 896-4636 or uwfoxvalley.org