One giant leap for inclusivity: East End Disability Associates celebrates cardboard boat race wins

Going into the Riverhead’s annual Cardboard Boat Race earlier this month, the East End Disabilities Associates team didn’t come in with high expectations, just a desire to have fun.

The running joke — and ultimately the best motivator for paddlers Kelly Weresnick and Cale Bullis — was simply don’t fall in the Peconic River. 

“We didn’t care what we placed as long as we didn’t go into the water,” joked Ms. Weresnick, assistant coordinator of EEAD’s Program Without Walls, in which she leads her own Learning Environmental Education Program, also known as LEEP. 

To the “Leepers’” surprise, this motivation, on top of serious engineering, great communication and seamless collaboration with their other teammates Susan Gannon, Hava Forziano and Christine Barker, would propel them to win the gold in two of the four races. 

“Once we go onto the dock, everyone who was there who helped build the boat, the other three of them, were just so happy,” Ms. Weresnick said. “ To see their faces just light up and to know that they could do it…it was a day of disbelief.”

Spectators of the Riverhead Cardboard Boat Race are usually there to witness the thrill of the sink, and revel in the buoyant victories. For the last 16 years, the family-friendly competition has become a beloved summer tradition that showcases creativity and brings together paddlers of all ages in homemade vessels for all-day antics. 

For those who have captained a cardboard craft, they know it is a true test of endurance and strategy — and Mr. Bullis, a fourth-year participant, knew his strength had to “be up to par.” 

“In the past, I’ve had kidney problems, and that was holding me back on a lot of the boat races,” he said. “This year, I finally was up to it health wise, and it takes a lot of strength to paddle any boat in general — and a cardboard boat is hard to steer.” 

What others don’t realize, Mr. Bullis said, is how difficult it is to actually build a cardboard boat from scratch. Boats must be constructed of only three materials: cardboard, duct tape and latex paint. 

The LEEP program group embraced the engineering challenge on the project. From start to finish, it was all hands on deck for months: from coming up with the design to actually executing the vision. 

Ms. Barker said she worked with Ms. Gannon on the design and decoration of the boat. She spent time meticulously measuring and cutting up cardboard pieces. Another responsibility of the two teammates was to figure out this year’s boat look. 

Usually, the team goes with a “leap” theme, Ms. Weresnick said. However, with this year being America’s 250th birthday, they decided to scrap a previous idea and go down the more patriotic route. 

When asked what they think best represents their patriotism and country, the group landed on their favorite animal: the eagle. Surrounded by American flags, they named the boat’s eagle “Jackie” after the famous celebrity bald eagle from the Friends of Big Bear Valley nest cam in California, who recently passed away. 

Five sheets of cardboard, about 10 rolls of strategically placed duct tape, several layers of water-based glue and latex paint later, “Leeper” was ready to set sail. 

With the build complete, the pressure switched to Kelly and Cale. Nerves were a little high right before the first race started, the two recalled. When their cardboard vessel first hit the water, the two paddlers thought: “Are we going swimming today?”

But, once the horn blasted, the co-captains started paddling with all their might, pushed through burning shoulders as they dug into the choppy waters of the Peconic River and kept their eyes on the prize that awaited them at the dock. 

“If you know your team member well, the trust level skyrockets through the roof, especially on that day,” Mr. Bullis said. “I’m a person that gets nervous, but when it gets right down to business, I focus right in.” 

Their teammates stood on the sidelines cheering them on. Ms. Forziano remembered jumping up and down “screaming” as Leeper crossed the finish line. 

Leeper won the Grand National and second-chance Outlaw races. Reflecting on this moment, Mr. Bullis got emotional talking about what his team means to him. 

“I think we motivate each other as a team, it takes a good team to go through a lot of things,” he said. “When I first came into the agency, I was stuck, no one could get near me, but if it wasn’t for Kelly, I don’t know where I would have been… this team certainly means a lot.” 

Joy O’Shaughnessy, EEDA’s executive director, said the proud moment for the LEEP group means more than just winning a race. Their participation in the cardboard boat race and other events, such as building their own float for the first time in Riverhead’s America 250 parade, shows community inclusivity and advocacy in action. 

It also demonstrates and recognizes people’s abilities rather than disabilities, the executive director said, and it’s important to get that message across the finish line. 

“I’ve been working with people with intellectual disabilities since the early ’80s, and when I first started my career, people were still living in institutions,” Ms. O’Shaughnessy said. “I never, ever in a million years could have imagined that a future where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were so welcomed in the community, and who were not only welcomed, but were leading the way.” 

Outside of community events, their work on a sensory garden and animal care at the 4-H camp, and winning cardboard boat races, the group continues to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, and for themselves. 

They travel to Albany to champion for direct-support professionals (DSPs), people with intellectual disabilities and represent nonverbal people, who “can’t speak for themselves,” Ms. Barker said. 

Just like the cardboard boat race, with the right team and support, the group says there is nothing holding them back from achieving their dreams. 

“I don’t think we have the words ‘give up’ in us,” Mr. Bullis said.