Cardboard boat engineers test the waters with Food Bank Float Your Boat competition
The finest cardboard boat engineers in Columbia tested the waters Saturday to see if their work would float or sink in the 10th annual Float Your Boat competition Saturday from the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.
The competition held at the Bass Pro Shops Lake also served as one of the Food Bank's major spring fundraisers. Entry fees, sponsors and people's choice awards all went toward supporting the work of the Food Bank, said Lindsay Young Lopez, Food Bank president and CEO. Guests put donations into buckets in front of the 33-entered boats. Whichever team raised the most was the people's choice award winner.
Each $1 raised can purchase four meals for the region's disadvantaged.
"This is a well-established event for the food bank ... (and) is the area's only regatta of this type," Lopez said.
All boats had to be constructed of cardboard, duct tape and latex paint only. Boats had a max size limit as well. Any boats that did not follow materials or size rules were part of a pirate class instead of the short-course race for elementary school students or the long-course race for teens and adults. This year had no pirate class boats.
Lopez and Heather Hargrove, Feeding Missouri board president, served as boat judges, which were inspected by Coil Construction leadership.
"Sometimes boats fly across the water or sink in a humongous way, so it is really fun," Lopez said. "It's fun and such a family-friendly event and atmosphere. I love that it is a way for some families to come together and work on this project."
The competition also featured teams from Mill Creek Elementary School with fourth-grade classes making boats.
"The teachers use this collaboratively as a STEM project, You know they are involving science and math and engineering to construct this boat and they do fundraisers for us too," Lopez said. "It really is about the community embracing the work that the Food Bank does."
More: Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri raises awareness with Hunger Action Day
The Food Bank never sets a goal amount for what is raised said Katie Adkins, director of communication and marketing, but it always is a significant, amount, Lopez added. This was the second year the competition was back following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Food Bank's Float Your Boat race welcomes cardboard boat engineers
