Lucky's Sporting Goods' boat, Bow Down, won the Titanic Award for being the first to sink. 

Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA) sponsored the Cardboard Boat Regatta on Saturday, June 10 at Lakeside Park in Pell City. This was the first year for LMLPA to host the event. 

“After five years in dormancy, and some interest, we decided we just needed to do it—so we did,” Deb Cearley, vice-president of LMLPA and Chairman of the Cardboard Boat Regatta stated.

Cearley said the event had great local advertising, and members went door-to-door handing out flyers for the event. 

“We had three entries so we had one race but it was very exciting,” Cearley said. “We had boats that pulled up to watch and several people cheering.”

Participants could only use limited supplies to build their boats, including cardboard, duct tape, and paint. The three boats were BJ’s Jokers, built by The White Family from Leeds. The family had participated in past cardboard regattas and were the winners of the previous race on Logan Martin Lake. They won for Most Creative and Best Team Spirit.

Bow Down was built by Lucky’s Sporting Goods, and won the Titanic Award for being the first to sink. Cearley stated that the crowd cheered them on and their spirit was contagious.

The first place winners of the Cardboard Boat Regatta was a collaboration between Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) and the Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA). Nicholas Kin, Associate Dean at JSCC and Jeff Thompson, Director of CEPA, teamed up for their first year to participate in the event, bringing their cardboard vessel New Boat Who Dis? to the finish line. 

“CEPA was thrilled to support the cause,” CEPA Director Jeff Thompson said. “I believe this event will improve year over year and look forward to its certain success.” 

Several local businesses sponsored the event, and LMLPA plans to host a Cardboard Regatta again in 2018. “Thank you to the boaters, the spectators, Carol Pappas and Lucky’s for donating prizes,” Cearley said. “Thank you to the Daily Home and Alabama Power for posting the date and Civitans for providing t-shirts and my buddies at Logan Martin Lake Protection Association for the encouragement to just do it.”

The Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA) is a non-profit group formed in 1995 and dedicated to “advocate and promote the general welfare of Logan Martin Lake and that of the homeowners, businesses, and users of Logan Martin Lake and the surrounding areas.”

LMLPA currently has over 450 members who help implement and participate in the cleanup of Logan Martin Lake. Together they have removed tons of trash from the water and shoreline over the past several years. LMLPA also works with Alabama Water Watch to test the water of Logan Martin Lake, keeping a record of lake conditions. Information they actively monitor include pH levels, which is the level of acidity or alkalinity of water, water temperature, water clarity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity or “water cloudiness.” They also measure the hardness of the water, which is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium present. 

On Friday, June 16 the LMLPA will host “Frog Night” for children ages 12 and under. George “Dr. Frog” Cline from Jacksonville State University will teach attendees to identify frog songs and get a hands-on experience with the amphibians. The event will be held at Pavilion 1 at Lakeside Park in Pell City from 7:45-9 p.m. Preregistration is suggested as space will be limited to 30 kids. 

For more information on upcoming events, to donate, or to volunteer with the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, visit www.lmlpa.org.