Rotary Clubs team up
for May 21 boat/bike events
Some outdoor enthusiasts enjoy leisurely adventures searching for wildlife in the Aroostook wilderness while others harbor a more athletic angle to taking advantage of outdoor sports. Those looking to hone their competitive edge or enjoy a day of sightseeing have the Aroostook River Fun Run Canoe and Kayak 8-mile Challenge to look forward to on Saturday, May 21.
Approximately five years ago, the Presque Isle Rotary Club, a 100-member service club, decided to organize and sponsor a canoe/kayak event to raise funds for a local non-profit organization, as well as promote healthy and safe summer activities for the community. Last year a bicycle poker run as added to the event.
Staff photo/Mark Putnam
FAMILY-CENTERED FUN — The annual Aroostook River Fun Run, a canoe/kayak race and bicycle poker run from Washburn to Presque Isle, takes place Saturday, May 21. Last year, three generations of the Pierce family of E Plantation, participated in the Rotary Club-sponsored event.
The race day’s activities will begin with registration at Thomas Brewer Park starting at 8 a.m. with the race set for 10 a.m. at the Washburn boat landing and ending at the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club. Again this year, there will also be a bicycle poker run, spearheaded by Mark Shea of Bigrock, along the rail trail that follows the river.
The Aroostook Fun Run events not only offer an opportunity to support a community organization, but also a chance to enjoy the picturesque wilderness formerly marred by pollution at the part of the river near Washburn.
“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,” explained organizer Keith Brown. “The river downstream of the Salmon Brook was literally filled with a combination of potatoes, french fries and sewage from the town … Thirty years can make a big difference when nature and man work together to clean up a polluted mess. I never thought as a kid that I would ever be able to enjoy paddling my kayak down the river from Washburn to Presque Isle, because at that time that was the last place anyone would want to put a kayak. 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. “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.
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 light 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 free T-shirt. For more information on the race or to register, contact Brown at 455-4717 (krbrown8193@gmail.com) or Putnam at 764-4471
(editor@nepublish.com) or download a registration form from the PI Rotary website www.pirotaryclub.org. Registration forms will also be available at the Star-Herald office on North Street.
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 and pedaling that should be celebrated,” said Brown.
