Cardboard boat race to support mental health in Ithaca

Not everyone can build a boat – especially one that floats – but Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca will give you a chance to race your own in Cayuga lake, so long as it ships easily.

The nonprofit is accepting for its fifth annual Cardboard Boat Race, which will run out of the harbor Sunday, Sept. 10, at the Ithaca Yacht Club.

Tickets are available alongside boat registration and an event schedule on the organization's website, with proceeds going to support mental health counselling and services in Tompkins County.

The Cardboard Boat Race is the organizations only fundraising event each year, raising $72,000 in 2022, and this year’s donations totaling over $55,000 ahead of the September race, said Lovisa Johanson, donor engagement manager for Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca.

“Last year, F&CS provided nearly 30,000 counseling appointments to 1,289 individuals and families, and we helped hundreds more through our youth and outreach programs,” she said. “There’s the main clinic of course offering therapy appointments to many clients in Tompkins County, we also have youth and outreach services, there’s DAP, the Dispositional Alternatives Program and Open Doors.”

She said that donations from the race help to fund nearly all the organization’s programs, alongside sponsorship funds.

“There are certain programs that are funded through other avenues, but the boat race helps in addition, but there are definitely certain ones that without the cardboard boat race we wouldn’t be able to continue,” she said.

There will be parking available at Cass Park for the event, with a shuttle departing from Union Fields at 1 p.m. to bring participants and spectators to the Yacht club to watch the boats sink or swim. Those who wish to ride the shuttle should arrive at Union Fields around 12:50.

All event tickets include food and drink from Luna Catering, and a vote in the People’s Choice Best Boat award.

“Everyone puts so much effort into their boats, and once they get into the water and sink fantastically, it’s pretty fun,” Johanson said.

“Presiding over the whole spectacle are local-celebrities, Amy Dickinson and Geoff Dunn, who serve as emcee’s goading on the boat crews and adding their legendary wit to the fun,” Annual Fund Manager for Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca Austin Reid said in a release.

“Unlike many other fundraisers, the absurdity and spectacle are part of the draw of the Cardboard Boat Race,” he said. “Participants are challenged to build full-sized boats out of cardboard, duct tape, and glue, and then climb aboard their vessels to paddle around a floating racecourse located in the harbor of the Ithaca Yacht Club. Crossing the finish line is a secondary goal for many participants.”

Johanson said that it couldn’t be done without some help from a F&CS retiree.

“Vicki John, she was our assistant director of development and retired this year, but she is back helping with this event guiding me and teaching me all the ins and outs,” she said. “I am new to the development team but have been working at F&CS for three years. I volunteered during event setup last year and then ran home to grab my daughter for the race. Despite persistent rain, I ran around with my kid strapped to me in a baby carrier cheering for all the boats. I am very excited to participate on a new level this year, learning how to run the race from Vicki John.”

For more information on the race, visit www.fcsith.org/events/cbr/

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Family and Children's service to host 5th cardboard boat race