The Grand Island Town Board issued a town proclamation at its July 2 meeting in which the board "encourages all residents to attend the 13th annual Paddles Up Niagara."
This year's Paddles Up will take place from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Beaver Island State Park.
According to the proclamation, in 2006, Paul Leuchner, a Grand Island resident and former commissioner on the first Niagara River Greenway Commission, founded the first Paddles Up Niagara to create a signature event for the Niagara River Greenway Commission that would draw people and attention to the Niagara River.
Leuchner chaired the event for the first nine years before handing over the chairman's post to Grand Island Recreation Supervisor Joe Menter, who has chaired the event for the past three years.
In making the proclamation, the Town Board noted Paddles Up has grown from 140 paddlers and 116 paddle craft in 2006 to over 300 paddlers and paddle craft in 2017.
The Niagara River Greenway Commission, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Town of Grand Island, and the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper coordinate the event each year with the financial support from Anchor Marine of Grand Island.
This year's Paddles Up will include three different paddle events showcasing the natural beauty of Grand Island and the Niagara River, including the opportunity to view wetlands, heron rookery and a bald eagle nesting area.
