The Cardboard Boat Race, as it has in the past 30 years, will commence on the Saturday after Fathers Day in June. This year that date falls on June 22th. The race is held at the beach at the end of the Strand in Oxford Maryland. Boat registration will be starting at nine am. Most boats tend to wait till race day to register. Some years there are as many as 50 boats participating in the various races. The Battle of the Brave or Iron person race is the longest and is in Memory of Police Chief Wally Jones who was a founding member of the races and it is in his honor the proceeds go to Special Olympics of Maryland and the Tred Avon Players a community Non-profit Theater group operating out of the Oxford Community Center.
To start the races the dunking of the politicians will commence the start. This event is where the political inspired walk out into the river to see if the can lose sight of their sneakers and when they accomplish that feat the measurement taken will give some indication as to the health of the Bay. The river keepers can explain it better but that is the reason all materials used to make a boat be water solvent.
This year races will start at 11:00 and there will be the Battle of the Brave or Iron Man the longest of the races then the Fast Race and the Corporate Challenge in Honor of Tom Kleppinger, The funny race the Children’s race those 15 and under and the Senior Survivors for those over 60. All races are starting and ending on the Beach at the north end of the Strand. There is no spectator fee but attendees are encouraged to purchase ice cream from Highland Creamery or the food cooked by the upper Shore chapter of Special Olympics Maryland.
This being a “fun raiser” for two nonprofit organizations there is no fee for those who wish to watch the race can do so at any vantage point along the shore line. Those who wish to enter a race may do so at the fee of $25.00. If they wish to rent a boat and decorate it as they wish the fee for a limited fleet boat is $100.00 per boat and if the desire is to own their own boat that too can be arranged for a fee of $400.00. All checks are to be made out to Special Olympics Maryland or Tred Avon Players. All boats that enter must have the proper survival gear onboard.
The web site is https://give.classy.org/2019cardboardboatrace . As always we are also looking for volunteers to participate or build or repair the Boats. If you wish to find out more please contact [email protected] or [email protected] unless you have the need to hear a real human voice then try 410-924-3212. This year after the cardboard races the Smith Island Crab Skiffs will be having their Doug Hanks/Col.Martin memorial race. The crab skiffs are motorized and will circle the fleet of anchored boats that have come to see the races like Indians around a wagon train. Some of these boats will be at the far end of the beach for viewing as they are marvels of boat building and Oxford has Built the Slippery Eel to partake in these races.
William Skipper Marquess
Easton
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