Photo finish.
Those are the two words to describe the last few moments of Whirlpool’s Rock The Boat Cardboard Boat Races Thursday night at the Inn at Harbor Shores, an event that benefited United Way of Southwest Michigan. The event saw a record-setting 75 boats built and very few sinking.
The two boats that created the dramatic finish were constructed from Whirlpool employees. Boaty McBoard Face (Whirlpool Benton Harbor Tech) held a narrow lead until veering off into the breakwall off the marina, allowing Relentless (Whirlpool NAR Quality) to float pass the finish to capture the Fastest Board award. The dramatic photo finish was captured by Stacey Kunkle, a spectator and fan of Rock the Boat.
The list of top 5 finishers are as followers:
- Relentless (Whirlpool NAR Quality)
- Boaty McBoard Face (Whirlpool Benton Harbor Tech)
- Mic-Row-Scope (PhycoTech)
- Whirlpool Cooking Organization (Whirlpool)
- Margaritaville (Whirlpool Sales Training)
The People’s Choice Award Winner was Whirlpool’s Women’s Network, who saw $3,752 collected towards their vessel. They donated their winnings to Emergency Shelter Services. Whirlpool helped raise $18,575.03 through the People’s Choice Award, a record amount for the event.
Dave Cichocki, Vice President of US Sales at Whirlpool Corporation, said: “Another successful year with Rock the Boat. We had more boats, more people watching. We appreciate the support from our community. And it all goes to a great cause in United Way of Southwest Michigan, an organization that impacts so many families in our community.”
The Most Creative Boat was handed out to Whirlpool Creative Studios with Put a Cork in It. The judges for this award were Mike Garey (Mayor of the City of St. Joseph), Gloria Ender (Freedom Finishing), and Jonah McDonough (State Farm Insurance).
The event sponsors were: Overture, The Inn at Harbor Shores, Union Home Mortgage, DPM Events, Capgemini, Accenture, Wells Fargo, Pepsico, CMG Financial, and Four Winds Casinos.
For more information, visit United Way’s website at: www.uwsm.org.
