River race from Washburn to PI is May 18
WASHBURN — It’s been a long winter and many people in northern Maine are looking for events and activities to pull them outside to enjoy warmer weather. One such event is the Aroostook River Fun Run canoe and kayak race and it’s happening on Saturday, May 18.
Contributed photo
PLAN RIVER RACE — Members of the Aroostook River Fun Run canoe and kayak race committee are entering the final week to the sixth annual race from Washburn to Presque Isle on Saturday, May 18. Organizers include, clockwise from left, Mike Gudreau, Mark Putnam, Theresa Fowler, Sarah Gahagan, Mike Smith and Keith Brown. Absent for the photo was Gretchen Morse.
Sponsored by the Presque Isle and Washburn Rotary Clubs, this year marks the sixth time paddlers from Danforth to Fort Kent have competed for bragging rights and a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise in the eight-mile race that starts at Washburn’s Thomas Brewer Park and ends at the PI Fish and Game Club. For those who prefer to pedal or run, an excursion along the rail trail is also offered this year.
The event was developed in 2008 as a joint project between the central Aroostook Rotary Clubs to celebrate the coming of warmer weather and the natural beauty of the region’s meandering waterway. Proceeds this year will benefit area Girl Scouts who assist as volunteers on race day.
Keith Brown, a Washburn Rotarian and member of the town council, appreciates the attention the Fun Run puts on the Aroostook River and the communities along its banks.
“When I was a kid growing up in Washburn, you did not go near the river unless you had to cross it by means of the bridge,” he explained. “Thirty years can make a big difference when nature and man work together to clean up a polluted mess. Now, the river presents 10 miles of a tranquil waterway filled with so many islands that you could probably travel the river 10 times and never take the same route twice.”
The race day’s activities will begin with registration at Washburn’s Thomas Brewer Park starting at 8 a.m. with the competition set for 10 a.m. and ending 55 to 90 minutes later at the Fish and Game Club in Presque Isle with lunch and awards. A courtesy shuttle service will bring racers back to Washburn to retrieve their vehicles.
Winners in a variety of categories will be awarded miniature wooden paddle trophies for their efforts. Prizes, including an Old Town kayak, donated by the clubs and other sponsors will be randomly awarded to event participants. After the award ceremony, paddlers will be offered a barbecue lunch, sponsored by The Aroostook Medical Center.
The entry fee is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $10 for youth. The first 75 entrants will receive a Fun Run T-shirt. For more information on the race or to register, contact Mark Putnam at 764-4471 (editor@nepublish.com) or download a registration form directly from the PI Rotary website www.pirotaryclub.org or Aroostook Outdoors at www.goaroostookoutdoors.com.
