Of all the ways to experience the Connecticut River, paddling down a stretch of it in the name of a good cause has to be high on the list. With the inaugural Conquer the Current Regatta, participants have the chance to see a nine-mile stretch of the river while raising money for the Connecticut River Museum’s education scholarship fund.

“I was originally going to do this on my own as a GoFundMe campaign and paddle from Hartford or Essex to raise money for the museum, but we thought, ‘Why not do it as a fun event instead?’” said Jeremy Soboleski, a member of the museum’s board of directors.

The downriver paddle race is modeled in part after the philosophy of the Ride for a Cure: It’s open to everyone, fully supported, and most of all, about fun, not the race time itself. It will start from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam and finish in front of the Connecticut River Museum. Funds raised by the event will support the education scholarship fund, which helps students across the state experience historical and environmentally based programs both at the museum, and in their classrooms. In the 2016-2017 school year, this fund helped about 1,000 of the 4,000 students who took part in these programs to receive free or reduced admissions, and receive an educational opportunity they would have otherwise missed out on.

“It’s going to be a good day hopefully,” said Liz Sistare, who runs the museum’s paddle program and is helping to organize the event. “You’ll have the current with you, and have it be an easy paddle.”

When they say paddling, they mean it literally. The regatta is open to paddle-craft only, including canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and rowboats. Participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

“So long as you can paddle it, and you have a life jacket, it counts,” said Soboleski. “Originally, we were going to just have a loop in the harbor, but we thought most people would want to do something that they couldn’t normally do. Most people can’t just go paddle nine miles down the river, and have a car waiting for them. We’re taking care of the logistics.”

Attendees can park at Eagle Landing, paddle down-river, and then take a bus back to their cars—and have their watercraft transported back as well. There will be support boats including lifeguards and professional rescuers the whole way down the river, and approximately every two miles, there will be people on standby who can bus people back to the museum if needed. Spectators can either see the start at Eagle Landing, catch sight of the paddlers from Deep River Landing, or see them finish in Essex.

Want to participate but don’t have your own paddle craft or don’t want to paddle down the whole stretch? Those who need to rent a craft can rent paddle boards through Harborside Marina in Clinton (860-669-1705). Harborside will bring rented craft directly to the start line. After the race itself, there will be refreshments on the lawn, including barbecue from Porky Pete’s and offerings from Deep River Snacks and Cannoli’s on the Run. Those who register for the race will get one free beverage. There will also be stand-up paddleboard demonstrations by Paddlewords of Clinton and paddle parade at noon in Essex Harbor—and don’t forget to decorate your boat or board for that, as there will be prizes.

“When I grew up there was a raft race along the river, and it was well attended, and it ran all the way from Portland to here pretty much. Over the years it kept getting cut back, and now it is gone,” sad Soboleski. “We just want to get more people out on the river for a good cause. People don’t go out on the river anymore. It’s beautiful. It’s really coming back; it’s a lot cleaner than it used to be. We just want people to use this natural resource. We hope to make this a staple event in years to come.”

The Conquer the Current Regatta will take place on Sunday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those interested can register ahead of time as individuals or teams. Pre-registration is $30 with a $70 fundraising commitment, or $110 day of the event; there is no cutoff for registration. For more information, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org, call 860-767-8269, or email Liz Sistare at esistare@ctrivermuseum.org.