ALMONTE – Test your engineering skills, your rafting skills and your mettle as you race across the Mississippi River in a watercraft of your own making.

“On Saturday, Aug. 10, the Almonte General Hospital (AGH) holds its third annual Paddle for AGH raft race at the Almonte Fairgrounds,” Almonte General Hospital/Fairview Manor Foundation managing director Al Roberts said.  The rules are simple – your team must assemble its raft onsite, get it in the water, and race it against your competitors. Ideally, the raft will (a) float and (b) make it across the river and back. And it must be paddle-propelled. Pushing it across the river is a little outside the rules”

All teams are asked to raise pledges in support of the AGH.

“So’ channel your inner Jack Sparrow and enter a raft,” Roberts said. “Challenge your business competitors; build a family raft and throw down the glove to other families; galvanize your hockey, basketball, football or pickleball team around this community fundraiser.”

Race organizers encourage everyone to don a pirate eyepatch for this year’s race.

“Wear the patch so that young parents from Pembroke to Kanata can have the very best place to bring a healthy child into the world,” Roberts said. “So that when serious injuries or medical conditions occur and seconds count, treatment is around the corner in our top-notch community emergency care. Or our parents, children, spouses, and siblings can come home to recover close to their families in a hospital that has state of the art medical equipment.”

Wear the patch in support of our hospital’s campaign to provide medical professionals with the tools they need to give the highest standard of care.

“The government does not pay for large equipment like digital X-ray machines, ultra-sound machines and CAT scanners,” Roberts said. The hospital must rely on the support of their community to raise the money for the equipment we have come to expect from a modern medical facility.”

For more information or to register email raftraceagh@gmail.com