Some sailors made it around the buoy and back, some ended up in the drink, but everyone won, in a way, at Nanaimo’s Silly Boat Regatta.
The annual charity event was held today, July 14, at Maffeo Sutton Park, raising more than $100,000 for the Nanaimo Child Development Centre.
Island Red Cedar Construction was the fastest team this year, navigating a cedar boat piloted by the IRCC Raging Grannies, who were dressed the part.
“We spent a little bit of time planning it and we had a sneaking suspicion it might do well, so we thought we’d have to go pretty silly and I think we accomplished that out here today,” said Sean Smith of the Island Red Cedar team.
He said the boat was made from recycled materials from some of the company’s projects, plus some “creative flair.”
“We hadn’t tried it out and we didn’t know what it was going to do and we were really pleased it didn’t go down…” Smith said. “There was a lot of fast boats. It’s fun and competitive and everyone seemed to have a good time, so what more could you ask for?”
The Silly Boat Regatta involves teams building boats at the park in the morning and then racing them in the afternoon in the harbour.
Winners of Silliest Boat were the Vancouver Island Tree Service V.I. Tree Vikings, who carved a dugout canoe with an outrigger. Superette Foods won Silliest Sailors, Serauxmen Rocks were First to Sink and the Turnbull family won the Lil’ Tuck Trophy for youth spirit.
Raising the most pledges this year were the Protection Island Soggy Bottoms 4 Kids again this year, with $8,700. The Palace raised the most in pledges in the corporate category with $5,112, and the Herrington family had the most pledges in the family category with $690.
“We were just really happy to be able to do this event and be able to raise so much money for the Child Development Centre,” said Brenda Thompson of the Soggy Bottoms team. “Think of all the kids we helped.”
She thanked those who helped her team raise the money, through fundraisers on Protection Island like a silent auction and a golf cart wash.
“If you don’t have a family member that has used the services, then you know somebody who has and they do such great work,” Thompson said.
Tracy Berg, Nanaimo CDC fundraising officer, said in an e-mail that the event raised $106,000 and counting.
The Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty House Boaters team used a water cannon to fend off the Avenir Memory Care Avengers during a heat at today's Silly Boat Regatta… #Nanaimo pic.twitter.com/D7RlHnnEGh
— Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin) July 15, 2019
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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