Aroostook River Fun Run is Saturday for boats, bikes

    WASHBURN — A bike event has been added to this year’s Aroostook River Fun Run which takes place this Saturday. Paddlers and pedalers will gather at Washburn’s Thomas Brewer Park for registration from 8-9:30 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. start. The eight-mile event takes participants, either by boat or bike, along the river to the finish line at the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club.     The family-friendly Aroostook River Fun Run was started by the Presque Isle and Washburn Rotary Clubs in 2007 as a way to increase awareness of the river and promote physical fitness and expand recreational opportunities in the region.
    This year, with help from Mark Shea, a longtime recreation programmer with Maine Winter Sports and the Caribou parks and rec department, a wildlife-themed bicycle trek for persons who don’t own a canoe or kayak has been added to the Fun Run.
    All Fun Run participants will be treated to a barbecue lunch at the Fish and Game Club.
    In an effort to keep the event affordable to families, a $15 individual entry fee has been set — $12 for senior citizens and $10 for youth. The first 100 paid registrants will receive a race logo T-shirt.
    For information or to register, call Brown at 455-4717; Mark Putnam at 764-4471 or visit www.presqueislerotary.org