Freeport goes overboard at Great Canoe Races

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The sound of water sloshing and swishing could be heard as participants in the Great Freeport Canoe Races at Cow Meadow Park on Sunday tried to outpace one another to the finish line. Meanwhile, at the dock, laughter erupted from spectators as they watched volunteer Freeport firefighters unexpectedly overturn their canoe.

The Great Freeport Canoe Races is a daylong event, with winners awarded medals. The races started on Sunday around 10 a.m. and continued through the early afternoon. In all, there were nine races, with roughly 70 participants. Spotted in the crowd of competitors were Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy, State Sen. John Brooks and Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran, eagerly awaiting their turns to row. Curran placed first in the race and excitedly flashed her medal in front of Kennedy and Brooks.

“It was lots of fun for a good cause,” Curran said after receiving her medal.

Freeport’s Great Canoe Races has been tradition for more than 40 years. This year’s event raised about $900. Race coordinator Mariann Endo said she was thrilled to see not just the Freeport community participate, but also visitors from Connecticut and even the Pennsylvania Ski Patrol.

“It was a fun competitive race,” Endo said. “We were all amateurs just racing for fun with hopes of winning a medal. I thought [the races] were very successful. I felt that the community came out, which was one the biggest things we look forward to.”

The races are hosted by the Freeport Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Freeport Police Athletic League, with support from the village. The funds raised are used to support youth programs and activities, like PAL’s youth sports programs. Another portion of the funds will also go to support the chamber’s community programming.

“The Great Freeport Canoe Races is a proud tradition that went smoothly this year, as I managed to stay dry and not tip over the canoe,” Kennedy said. “Freeport has a very special connection to our waterfront and to our local community, which was made all the more obvious from the dozens of volunteers and civic leaders who came out this year to support.”