More than two dozen cardboard boats hit the water this Thursday, July 16, when United Way of Southwest Michigan's Rock the Boat, presented by Honor Credit Union, returns to the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph. Racing begins at 5 p.m. along the St. Joseph River channel, and spectators are invited to come watch for free.
This year's event theme is “Summer Camp,” with 24 teams from businesses, schools, and organizations across the region launching camp-themed creations in eight heats of racing, capped off by a championship run to crown the fastest boat afloat.
This year's teams and their boats are:
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Andrews University - Andy Afloat
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Curi Capital - Curi Capsizing
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Dewey, Sinkum & Howe - Ordinance Violation
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Fifth Third Bank - S'more Than A Boat
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Freedom Boat Club of Michiana - Freedom Bros
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Freedom Boat Club of Michiana - FREEDOMination
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Gast Manufacturing - Camp Big Foot
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Herald Palladium - The Nauti Dogs
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Holtec Palisades - Team Holtec
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Honor Credit Union - Bun Voyage
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Indiana Michigan Power's DC Cook Nuclear Plant - SMR (Small Modular Rowers)
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Lake Michigan College Camp Red Hawk - Oar We There Yet
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Lakeshore Robotics - Team Lance-A-Boat, sponsored by Honor Credit Union
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LOGAN Community Resources Inc. - S'more Than a Feeling
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99.9 Y Country - SS Mid-West
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Racin' Mason Dixon's Front Porch Stomp
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Robo Tech Zone - ROW-BOTZ, sponsored by Honor Credit Union
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St. Joseph High School Average Joes Robotics - Oar-dinary, sponsored by Honor Credit Union
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St. Joseph-Lincoln Township Senior Center & St. Joseph Junior Foundation - Stars & Stripes
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Southwestern Michigan College - Ronnie's Riptide Racer
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Walsworth - S.S. Uh-oh!
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Whirlpool - WERLD Class Drifters
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Whirlpool Cooking - Zip It!
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Whirlpool / International Supply Chain, sponsored by Maersk - Sticky Situation
"This is one of the best nights of the summer, hands down," said Anna Murphy, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan. "You get to stand on the shoreline, cheer on your neighbors as they paddle a boat made entirely of cardboard and know that every dollar raised stays right here in Southwest Michigan. Some boats will fly, some will flop, and honestly, the flops might be the best part."
Spectators do more than just watch. The crowd decides two of the night's biggest awards by donating to their favorite team at RockTheBoatVote.com or by texting RockTheBoat2026 to 71777. The team that raises the most money takes home the Captain's Bounty award, while the team with the most individual donors wins People's Choice. Donations can be made by credit card, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, and voting closes before the final heat, so fans are encouraged to vote early and often. Judges from the Krasl Art Center and the Blossomtime Court will also award trophies for Most Creative design and Best Theme Execution.
Getting there is easy thanks to FREE shuttles brought to you by Visit Southwest Michigan, running from 3 p.m. until the end of the event. Spectators can park at the overflow lot across from the Whirlpool St. Joseph Tech Center on Upton Drive or at the Michigan Works! office at Main & Riverview and ride the shuttle straight to the fun.
Once on site, guests can grab dinner and dessert from Ben's Soft Pretzels, KT's Rasoi, Munchie Man, Sweet Caroline's Ice Cream, and Pepsi, or enjoy drinks from the Inn at Harbor Shores' tiki bar in the large white event tent and the dockside bar by the pool. Free S'mores Pop-Tarts, donated by Meijer, will be waiting near the faux campfire. All food vendors are donating a portion of their proceeds to United Way.
Phil McDonald of WSJM Sports and Kirra Halfman will host the evening, which will also stream live on United Way of Southwest Michigan's YouTube and Facebook channels for those who can't make it to the shoreline.
Rock the Boat was founded 10 years ago by United Way's key campaign partner, Whirlpool Corporation, and has collectively raised more than $100,000 for programs serving Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties.
The event is made possible by presenting sponsor Honor Credit Union and major sponsors Whirlpool Corporation, Corewell Health, Silver Beach Pizza, Gast Manufacturing, Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, Blu Cat Consulting, and the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. Key sponsors include Indiana Michigan Power's Cook Plant (Safety Fencing Sponsor), Visit Southwest Michigan (Shuttle Sponsor), Freedom Boat Club (Starting Line Sponsor), and Lake Michigan College (Drone Sponsor). Captain & Commodore sponsors are the Inn at Harbor Shores, Holtec Palisades, and Little Red Fern, with media partners 99.9 Y Country and the Herald Palladium.
Special thanks go to United Container Company, Competitive Edge, Pepsi, Meijer, Gravity Productions, Feeding America, Big C Lumber, Brian's Marina, Godfrey Pontoon Boats, Lakeshore High School, the Whirlpool Corporation Advanced Development & Innovation Team, and the Berrien County Sheriff's Department, St. Joseph Public Safety, and US Coast Guard St. Joseph Station for keeping everyone safe on land and water.
Admission is free, and donations are appreciated. For full event details, visit RockTheBoatForUnitedWay.com.
