41 days till the 7th running of the Greenway Challenge!
 

September 1st is Team Registration Deadline !!!
 
The lazy, hazy days of summer lead to one exciting event on Saturday, September 29 – the UniBank Greenway Challenge. Participate in the Blackstone Valley’s premier adventure race and register your team today! There are two weeks left to put teams together and six weeks left to train, train, train. Challenge yourself: it can be done!

We have over 40 teams registered and Great Canadian will return to face any team attempting to take their Championship trophy. The Department of Transportation’s Team A from Rhode Island is ready to face off with any team entering the Corporate Cup division. How about asking your company to sponsor a team? It’s fun, you learn a lot about your teammates and most of all – it’s exciting!

Other teams already putting their teams through their paces include the Whitin Community Center, Clark Mailing, Desperate Housewives, UniBank, the Rolling Stones, the Runagades, and Millbury Federal Credit Union’s team. We’ll be heading up river this year with a new and different course so no team has the course advantage in this adventure race. Our divisions offer a place for everyone – Championship, Corporate Cup, All Women, Masters Division, Recreational Teams, Iron Men and Iron Women. Your team (except for the tri-athletes) are allowed up to nine members and all youth must be over 16. Every team is allowed one support person.

If you’ve got questions, call Barbara Dixon at 401-762-0250 x30 today. We can’t wait to see you there!

Captains’ Meetings are Crucial!

Team captains please note! Your team is less likely to have problems with the course if you come to one of the captains’ meetings being offered on September 12 & 13. Last minute course changes are reviewed (if necessary), special details of the route are discussed and etiquette issues are aired. Don’t miss these meetings!

Wednesday, September 12 @ 7:00 p.m.

River Bend Farm, 287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA

For directions: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/blst.htm

Thursday, September 13 @ 7:00 p.m.

Whitin Community Center, 60 Main Street, Whitinsville, MA

For directions: http://www.ourgym.org/findus.htm
 
Volunteers have a Great Time, Too!

We are always happy to welcome volunteers to the UniBank Greenway Challenge. Helping with the event is a great way to meet new people, make new friends and to see special parts of the Blackstone River Valley you may never have seen before. Please call Barbara Dixon at 401-762-0250 x 30 and you, too, can become part of this wonderful event.

Unibank Greenway Challenge Raffle Winners

The UniBank Greenway Challenge raffle winners were drawn at beautiful Bowdish Lake at the George Washington Management Area in Glocester, RI before the many Paddle Club members there to enjoy the water on July 26th. Congratulations to the winners and a hearty "thank you" to our generous donors!

(l-r) Keary Naughton from Great Canadian Canoe & Kayak, Co. delivered the kayak to winner Alice Wolochowiez, seen here with her husband, Robert, of Douglas, MA. Both are members of the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club. Joe Sherlock, a paddling instructor from Great Canadian Canoe & Kayak Co., along with Charlie Thompson, Chair of the UniBank Greenway Challenge Steering Committee, were there to congratulate the winners! Charlie Thompson, Chair of the UniBank Greenway Challenge Steering Committee congratulates Lee Parham of Norton, MA., winner of the Trek 7000 bike and a two-day self guided Blackstone Valley bicycle tour.

Cecile Letourneau of Cumberland, RI won the Fox Tours bus trip for two to Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD to see the Boston Red Sox and spend a day touring the Nations Capital. Cecil purchased the tickets at the Blackstone River Theatre's Celtic Festival held at Diamond Hill State Park on July 21.

The UniBank Greenway Challenge Steering Committee wishes to thank the following sponsors for their generous donation of raffle gifts:

  • Fox Tours for the 3 day trip to Baltimore/Washington DC, Boston Red Sox Tickets

  • Peloton Bike Shop and Cycle New England for the Bike and 2 day self guided tour in the Blackstone Valley

  • Great Canadian Canoe & Kayak Co. for the kayak, equipment and paddling lessons in the Blackstone Valley.

Blackstone River Clean-up

With little rain and the Blackstone River running quite low, Keith Hainley and Frank Matta, both members of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone along with a small crew including members of the Albion Fire Department decided one Saturday morning in late July to remove the downed tree stuck in the Albion Dam since the floods of October 2005. The tree & dam happen to be a part of the course for this year’s Greenway Challenge and while doing the dry run in May, Frank commented that this tree needed to be removed!

“The Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone has since their inception been in the forefront of river stewardship and recreation. It is only natural that we would be most willing to do our part to support the UniBank Blackstone River Greenway Challenge,” Frank stated. Not only have Frank and Keith, along with other members of the Friends of the Blackstone, performed many clean-ups along the River, they also have worked in partnership with John Faile of the Lincoln Water Commission and staff of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to clear and prepare a new river access for this year's course in Manville, Rhode Island. Frank also commented that “It is very encouraging to see the diversity of organizations and people who make the Greenway Challenge happen. The Challenge is a wonderful Corridor-wide event that encompasses so many recreational components of our River Valley. The exposure and attention of this annual event goes a long way in helping to celebrate the rebirth of our Blackstone River.”

To Frank, Keith, members of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone and crew from the Albion Fire Department; to John Faile and staff at the Lincoln Water Commission and staff of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; The UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Steering Committee thanks you for helping to keep our Blackstone River clean, the Greenway Challenge course safe and your hard work in preparing, clearing and maintaining river access sites.

Greenway Challengers in the News!
 
Two teams represented in Danskin Triathlon 2007 - Joanne Grzembski, Rose Cushing, Kelly Kokernak, and Jennifer Teguis (pictured left) of the Greenway Challenge 'Desperate Housewives' competed in the Danskin Triathlon in August. Jennifer tells us, "We all trained together and had a great time!" 

Also competing that morning was Sheryl Duclos (pictured right), of R.J. Duclos Painting. For Sheryl, this was the first of several 2007 major athletic events. Shortly after Danskin, Sheryl bicycled almost 200 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown with the Pan Mass Challenge. In 2 weeks, she'll be hiking into the Grand Canyon for the 3rd time. And, of course, for all of these ladies, the most important challenge is yet to come.... the Greenway Challenge!

Your Greenway Challenge Steering Committee

Charles Thompson, Chair
Irene Blais, Secretary
Captain Morin, Logistics and River Safety
Gary Rice, Bicycle Logistics		 Lisa Mosczynski, PR and CorridorKeepers Liaison
Michelle Fontaine, Webmaster/ Photographer/Graphics
Barbara Dixon, Event Coordinator
Jennifer Teguis, Director of Development


Greenway Challenge contact information: 401-762-0250 ext. 30 e-mail: barbara_dixon@nps.gov 
surface mail: One Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895

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