Paddle events combine to benefit wounded veterans June 22

Two premier paddle events will join forces for a festival Saturday, June 22, in Snow Hill, Md., to help wounded warriors and their families.

Over the past seven years, Paddle Second Chance has raised more than $200,000 for Operation Second Chance. This nonprofit organization serves wounded veterans and their families as they recover and transition back to civilian life. Operation Second Chance serves more than 40 families from the Delmar region.

For the past three years, Walk on Water, a stand-up paddleboard shop in West Ocean City, Md., has sponsored the family-friendly Return to Goat Island Paddle Festival. The highlight of the event is a race on the Pocomoke River, open to all forms of paddling such as SUP, kayaks and surfski. The festival features live music, great food and beverage vendors, yoga demos and children’s activities. Paddlers and supporters enjoy the party-like atmosphere while spending time outside with family, friends and community.

Paddle Second Chance will join Walk on Water to sponsor this year’s Return to Goat Island Paddle Festival June 22.

Walt Ellenberger, chair for Operation Second Chance Delmar, said, “We are excited about co-sponsoring Return to Goat Island with WOW. It provides a venue for a bigger crowd of our friends and family to come together for a great paddle festival and great cause. Walk on Water has always been a Paddle Second Chance supporter from our inception and has helped train some of our wounded warriors to participate in the SUP events.”

The scenic Pocomoke River offers a tranquil and protected course surrounded by the relaxed yet lively atmosphere of Snow Hill’s Byrd Park. Goat Island, situated in the river adjacent to Byrd Park, is home to one or two goats that have a front-row seat to view paddle sports on the Pocomoke.

The festival will include a brief children’s fun race, a 1-mile open race for first-time paddleboarders, and a six-mile recreational flat-water race for intermediate to advanced paddlers.

For those looking to push their limits, there will be a 17-mile flat-water race on the Pocomoke River. Race participants will circle Goat Island, travel along the tree-shaded river course, through the scenic water trail of Shad Landing and downriver to the turning buoy off Milburn Landing, then repeat the course in the opposite direction.

The Town of Snow Hill will host Return to Goat Island for the fourth year. Organizers said the support from the town and its citizens has been tremendous, and Byrd Park is an ideal venue for the event. The charming small town is nestled on the south banks of the Pocomoke River. Snow Hill’s quaint and historic downtown has numerous shops, art galleries, restaurants and B&Bs.

In the sport of paddleboarding, it’s not all about who wins the race. It's about bringing people together for a beautiful outdoor activity, the welcoming atmosphere, sharing in the struggle and triumph of the course, and experiencing the exultation when racers cross the finish line. Those involved with the sport do it not only to help themselves, but to help others on and off the water.

To register, go to www.paddleguru.com. For more information, go to www.operationsecondchance.org, www.walkonwatersupco.com and www.snowhillmd.com.