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.
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.”
Visitors to the river have seen bear, moose, waterfowl and Brown has spotted an eagle busy with his own fishing at the river bank.
“We’re celebrating our area’s remarkable and scenic asset — the Aroostook River, and of course healthy outdoor fun for the family,” said organizer Mark Putnam, a PI Rotarian. “If the number of vehicles around town sporting boats on their roofs is any indication of interest in the sport, we should have a sizable crowd on race day,” he added.
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.
In addition to the Fun Run, an instructional clinic will be offered at the Washburn boat landing focusing on an introduction to canoeing and kayaking. This will be the perfect way for beginners or those looking for a refresher to start the paddling season.
Equipment and instruction provided by Healthy Hometowns, the community development division of the Maine Winter Sports Center. The clinic will begin at 10:30 a.m. and last approximately one hour. Cost is $10. Participants can register that morning, and should come dressed appropriately. All necessary equipment will be provided.
Rotarians managing the finish line of the race will declare the winners in a variety of categories who 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.
Committee members hope for area canoe and kayak rental shops and vendors to advertise to those who are interested in participating but do not have a canoe or kayak.
“Central Aroostook has a recreational opportunity in our backyards for paddling, pedaling and walking that should be celebrated,” said Brown.
