A day of fun with friends in store for canoe races
By Natalie Lescroart, Staff Writer
CRANBURY — What better way to end the summer than with a playful paddle on the lake with friends and neighbors?
Building upon a local teen’s Girl Scout project from last year, the township Recreation Department has taken the reins and will host the second annual Cranbury Canoe Races at Brainerd Lake on Sept. 13.
Dana Sahli, 18, organized the 2008 inaugural races in order to fulfill her requirements for a Girl Scout Gold Award project. She hoped the event would promote the community’s coming together to appreciate Cranbury’s natural beauty, while also providing area residents with a day of fun and friendly competition.
Ms. Sahli said last year’s event was a booming success. Even though she hadn’t planned to make any more money than she had put into the race’s preparations, abundant T-shirt sales and an unexpectedly high number of registrants left her with money to spare. The excess money, Ms. Sahli said, was divided between the Helene Cody Foundation, the Police Department, the Fire Department and the First Aid Squad.
”It really wasn’t about raising money as much as it was about bringing the community together,” she said. “But it was nice that we were able to cover expenses and still give back to local organizations.”
Although Ms. Sahli will not be involved in this year’s races while she busily prepares to begin her freshman year at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa., she said she was glad to see that the event has caught on.
”I was hoping it would become an annual thing for the town,” Ms. Sahli said. “I would love to be able to help out with organizing it again in the future. It’s a fun opportunity for people in the town, and I know all the ins and outs now.”
According to recreation secretary Dawn Maisano, Ms. Sahli had provided the department with her notes and final report from the project. Using Ms. Sahli’s work as a guide, the Recreation Department has adopted the race event, with only moderate changes.
The race will again be made up of six heats and is expected to begin the day after Cranbury Day at 3 p.m. along the waterfront in Village Park. But this year, there will be no judges and the hand stamp received when registering for any one race category will allow immediate entrance into all of the races.
The first heat will cater specifically to boaters 12 years and younger, who are encouraged to wear costumes in the canoes.
The second heat, open to all ages, allows as many participants as can safely fit in a canoe to do so, but with only one designated person in charge of paddling. The third heat will be nearly identical, but with two people rowing.
The fourth and fifth heats will respectively feature one and two-person kayak races, and the final heat will allow teens between the ages of 13 and 18 to race in an “anything goes” fashion — complete with water balloons.
Tim Brennan will be the master of ceremonies as the boats launch on Brainerd Lake near Maplewood Avenue, circle a buoy about 100 yards away and make their way back to the launch.
Ms. Maisano said the Recreation Department is looking forward to another fun-filled day on the docks this year.
”I think everyone really enjoyed the day last year, so I think it will be a great success this year,” said Ms. Maisano. “The goal is to have some fun on the lake, which is an underused part of our town, and to bring the community together.”
Cranbury Boy Scout Troop 52 and the First Aid Squad are expected to lend about 10 boats to be used during the races, but any participants with their own canoes or kayaks are invited and encouraged to bring them to the lake.
Interested boaters can register online at www.cranburytownship.org or in person at the Municipal Building, 23A N. Main St. For additional questions or to lend a boat, contact Ms. Maisano at 609-395-0900, ext. 243. Registration is $5 and includes a complementary T-shirt.
nlescroart@centraljersey.com