To the editor:

It has been 10 years since Inlet earned the Guinness record for the largest floating raft of canoes and kayaks for the third time!

It all started in 2008 when a group of residents were looking for an event through which they could raise money for breast cancer research. Connie Perry came across a Guinness record for the largest floating raft of canoes, kayaks and guideboats held together just by hands, and thought, “We can do this!”

That record attempt was successful, gathering 1,104 boats on Fourth Lake at Arrowhead Park in Inlet. However, that record was broken two years later by a group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. So, in 2011, One Square Mile of Hope floated a raft of 1,902 boats to regain the record. With this second successful attempt, Inlet was dubbed, “The Little Town That Could.”

Once again, Inlet’s record was broken two years later by a group at Sutton’s Bay on Lake Michigan, who amassed 2,099 boats in their raft. Still undaunted, the One Square Mile of Hope Committee scheduled a third run at the coveted record. Inlet, “the little town that could,” affirmed their goal to set a record once and for all that would be hard, if not impossible, to break. Thus, on Sept. 13, 2014, Inlet’s raft contained 3,150 boats. And that record stands today, even though several groups have made attempts to dethrone Inlet. These three successful record breakers raised over $300,000 for breast cancer research and awareness.

That’s the event’s history! Since the last record-breaker, a multitude of inquiries have poured into the Inlet Information Office asking when the next raft-up would be. Organizers were inclined to put off scheduling anything until someone broke the record so that we would have a number to aim for. Now that 10 years have passed with no success from our competitors, the idea of breaking our own record was brought up and approved.

This year’s attempt will occur on Sept. 14. The format will remain largely the same: All boats registered must be on Fourth Lake in a designated area for a photograph taken from a seaplane promptly at noon. Once the raft disperses, a bonanza of activities will take place in Arrowhead Park, all centering around health and wellness. There will be demonstrations of yoga, tai chi, meditation and other healthy activities, as well as Chinese auctions, and, of course, food.

The current organizing committee has chosen to go in a somewhat different direction for benefactors of the event. In the past, Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse received a portion of the event’s proceeds. This year the majority of the money will go to the Golisano Hospitals in Syracuse and Rochester with a portion set aside for first responders.

Join us! Be a part of another spectacular event. Registration is open and details are available on our website: onesquaremileofhope.org.

Margaret O’Hara

Publicity chair, One Square Mile of Hope

Inlet