The Strawbridge Lake Beautification Committee (SLBC) will host the sixth annual Moorestown Paddle Board/Kayak Race and Family Festival at the lake on Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. All proceeds benefit maintenance and care for the lake.
There will be food trucks, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction, microbreweries, vendors, bands, activities for kids and more. All racers that register online by Monday, May 20, will receive a medal, T-shirt and swag bag. Prizes will be awarded for each race category: first female/first male/first under 18. People must register online to be eligible for an award and race categories include kayak, paddle board, touring kayak and tandem kayak. Participants can choose from two distance options: 1-mile and 2-miles. A limited number of free kayaks will be available.
“I remember one time – I think it was the fourth year – it was really packed, and somebody said, ‘Is this what you pictured?’ and I said, ‘No,’ I had no idea what we were starting but it’s wonderful,” said George Gravenstine, founding board member of the SBLC.
“I think it really comes down to the fact that we were able to find something different.”
In 2017, several Moorestown residents decided it would be a great service to the community to be the “stewards” of the lake, according to the site for the SLBC. Amy and George Gravenstine, along with Chet Dawson, called upon other people to join them in cleaning up the lake’s edge. With guidance from the township, they began with a few sections of the lake and realized it was a much bigger task than they thought. George had the idea to create an all-volunteer, nonprofit to raise funds and hire a professional landscape company for the clean-up.
The SLBC was formed in January 2018 and since then, the group has worked tirelessly on their mission to restore Strawbridge Lake to the beautiful town treasure that it once was. The SLBC’s board members are the Gravenstines; Dawson; Lisa Petriello; Doug Maute; Lenny Wagner; Jennifer Baxter; Lilianna Gravenstine and Jimmy Godfrey and Karen Trommelen.
Last year’s race raised $25,825 thanks to all the sponsors, race participants, vendors and donors. Funds from that event were used for a lake-edge clean-up and the installation of a third floating dock near the children’s pond. The SLBC also hopes to add two kayak launches at two of the floating docks and do another beautification project somewhere along the lake.
The SLBC is also currently holding the Strawbridge Lake Paver Campaign. Paver bricks will give people the opportunity to be a part of the lake forever by honoring, acknowledging or remembering someone, or simply showing their support with an inscription on their paver brick. The pavers will be sold in two sizes and the campaign will run until this summer. Pavers can be purchased on the SLBC’s site under the Store tab. The nonprofit hopes to continue its mission for many years to come so that future generations will always have Strawbridge Lake to enrich their lives and enjoy.
“I’m amazed how happy people were that we asked and immediately said yes and are involved,” Gravenstine said of the SLBC. “They didn’t just say yes, they’re involved, they take pride in it and they’re happy to be involved and that’s wonderful.
“The lake itself… If you go out there on a kayak, you really appreciate how beautiful it is … It’s a beautiful part of Moorestown, and it just kind of got forgotten (about) over the years and we hope we brought some light back to it and hopefully that continues.”
For more information on the paddle board and kayak race or to register, visit www.strawbridgelakebc.org/race2024.
