Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Team Thor Motor Coach (Pac Man) reacts after winning a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Participants set off water-soluble confetti to start the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Grand Design #1 (A Decade of Grand Design RV) reacts after winning a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Earthway (S.S. Minnow) capsizes in the pond in a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Monteith Best 1 (The Tiretanic) paddles toward the finish line in a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Thor Motor Coach (Pac Man) reacts after winning a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Participants set off water-soluble confetti to start the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Grand Design #1 (A Decade of Grand Design RV) reacts after winning a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Earthway (S.S. Minnow) capsizes in the pond in a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
Team Monteith Best 1 (The Tiretanic) paddles toward the finish line in a heat race during the Crossroads United Way Great Cardboard Boat Race 2022 at LaSalle Bristol in Elkhart Friday.
ELKHART — The Great Cardboard Boat Race returned to kick off a 100th-anniversary celebration of Crossroads United Way Friday.
Now in its 12th year, Crossroads Executive Director Bill Reith said the event continues to grow almost every year, with at least 50 boats from companies around the community competing this year.
“It’s actually the largest in the Midwest,” Reith explained of the cardboard boat race.
Groups make their own boats entirely out of cardboard and compete in eight different heets for a spot in the championship race. It’s not only about who wins the race, though. Boaters compete for a total of 14 awards, from first to eighth place, to the Live United Award wherein the boat best exemplifies the spirit of philanthropy, Judge’s Choice for best-dressed boat, The Wonder That Went Down Under Award for most spectacular sinking, Biggest Treasure Chest for most donations raise, the Flagship Award for most friends donating, and the Cardboard Crusader for durability in a final race.
This year’s theme was Sailing Through the Decades in honor of the 100th year of United Way, which began in 1922.
"The event was a huge success, raising more than any other year in the history of the boat race," said Jenipher Akuku, Manager of Marketing and Administration for Crossroads in a Friday evening news release.
Reith explained that United Way helps especially during times of community crisis
“COVID, World War I, tornados, floods… anytime that things have been difficult,” he said. “One of the factors that led to the establishment was there was typhoid and polio and other health crisis…As an entity, we also work hard to secure a lot of grants. During COVID we unlimited got about 2.5 million in grants. We literally are neighbor-helping-neighbor, working-families-helping-working-families.
"We really focus on families that are working hard but fall short. We work with local partners and we have some internal programs to fill gaps in the community.”
In honor of the 100-year celebration, Judges Elkhart County Sheriff Segal, Elkhart County Commissioner Suzie Weirick, and WDNU Anchor Melissa Stephens chose boats based on appearance and on exemplifying the Live United spirit.
“We had a boat a couple of years ago that was a complete game of thrones with an actual throne of swords all made out of cardboard,” Reith recalled. “It was kind of almost like a transformer thing because when it was time to race they took parts off so it would race better. The race is very competitive and it’s fun because again these are cardboard boats so boats will sink. We’ve had some funny ways that people have gone down.”
Those that did, however, regardless of their standing in the original competition, could compete in the Cardboard Crusader competition, receiving a custom cardboard boat trophy from Welch Packaging.
“Being that these boats are made of cardboard, duct tape, and paint, many will not survive,” Reith said.
Goshen Health Vice President of Hospital Operations Mark Podgorski, an engineer by background, doesn’t participate in the racing of the boats, but has been involved with the race for many years helping the Goshen Health team design their award-winning boats.
“I had a group of colleagues create a boat and put it in the race and we had the most spectacular sinking- and I just wanted to make sure our boat at least floated,” he explained. “We wanted to get an award but not that one. We got about halfway around the first lap and the boat just kind of collapsed in half, and it was quite spectacular, yes.”
The Goshen Health team has since gone on to win two years in a row, and three overall.
“It’s got to be structurally sound,” Podgorski explained. “We fashioned ours after a kayak and tried to make it so it could be built easily and quickly.”
Despite layer upon layer of cardboard, paint and sealant, Podgorski said the team knows the boat won’t last forever, but the goal is to get it across the fine line.
“Of course, the boat’s still going to get wet because when you’re racing, you’re banging it on other boats and it creates cracks and damages to the sealing.”
It’s not about winning, he said.
“It’s an awful lot of fun to win but we’re all winners here," he said. "The United Way’s mission is to improve the community for the better good and I think we’re doing that. Getting so many people together for this great cause, it’s outstanding. It’s all in good fun and all for a great cause of course. Certainly, Goshen Health is behind that.”
The race is also a kick-off for Crossroads United Way’s workforce campaign. Reith said United Way impacts nearly 25% of Elkhart County. Thanks to a Lilly Endowment, any paycheck withdrawals donated to United Way over $100 are matched. The average gift a person donates is $5 per week, which amounts to $260 per year, but with the matching grant, a $5 per week donation amounts to $520 per year.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.
A preliminary count showed that the event generated over $107,000. This year’s Major event sponsors included Barletta Boats, LaSalle Bristol, NIBCO, and Welch Packaging.
Overall grand prize race winner: Welch Packaging (Top Gun)
Himco (SS Basura): Cardboard Crusades Trophy.
Judges Choice Award: Welch Packaging (Top Gun)
Most Donations: ASA Electronics (Rock on the Water) & ) Old National Bank (Livin’ on a Prayer
People’s Choice Award: Lasalle Bristol
Live United Award: LaSalle Bristol (Miami Vice)
Wonder That Went Down Under Award: (Statute of Lipperty)
Education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
The city of Goshen is asking residents to help them plan the growth of the city through a survey, listening groups and focus sessions. There will be several opportunities for the public to voice their opinions on topics involving the growth of the city for the next 10-plus years. Do you plan to participate?
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.