A two-day youth boat race event to benefit Camp Onyahsa will be held at Midway State Park on June 28, and organizers are still accepting teams of area students to compete.
A first-time event, the Plywood Boat Regatta and Rubber Duck Race are being hosted by the Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union in cooperation with Ron Mavity of ATM Systems LLC. In recent years, Mavity and the Chautauqua Lake Regattas organization have coordinated similar boat races to benefit agencies such as the WCA Cancer Care Center. Last year's event in Mayville featured sailboat racing, a vintage hydroplane exhibit and more.
"This will be an event which focuses on bringing our young people together to instill the importance of teamwork and community service," Mavity said of the coming races "It is also a community service event in an effort to raise money for scholarships to the YWCA's Camp Onyahsa."
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A two-day youth boat race event to benefit Camp Onyahsa will be held at Midway State Park on June 28, and organizers are still accepting teams of area students to compete. Teams are comprised of six to eight individuals and a mentor, someone of adult age who oversees the building of the boat.
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According to organizers, teams which raise the $400 participation fee will spend the day Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., assembling plywood boats. Boats will be tied and glued together, and left to dry overnight. A lunch will be provided.
"Ron will speak to the kids during the day about community service and the importance of it," said Julie Fenton, Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union human resources coordinator. "I believe the kids and their families will then have access to the rides at Midway Park later in the evening. On Sunday morning, they'll come back to Midway in the morning, around 8 o'clock, to put finishing touches on their boats. Then, two members of each team will actually sail their boats."
Teams are comprised of six to eight individuals and a mentor, someone of adult age who oversees the building of the boat. The plywood boat races will alternate with rubber duck races. A $500 grand prize will be given to the winner of the final rubber duck race. A single $5 ticket before the event will secure a person a rubber duck eligible for all three of the day's races.
"It's mostly about teaching the kids community service, but it's also about making it a family day," Fenton said. "We've partnered with Midway ... and we're really hoping to drum up a lot of families to come down to the lake this day and see these boat races and cheer on these kids for their hard work."
Anyone interested in sponsoring or forming a team is encouraged to contact Julie Engstrom at Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union by calling 665-3799.