The eighth annual Creekness Stakes canoe race raised more than $5,000 for the Trail Creek Watershed Partnership over the weekend. Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch, who volunteered at the event, donated an additional $4,000 from her Mayor’s Empowerment Fund.
“This is the first time I’ve attended the Creekness Stakes since becoming mayor and I’ve enjoyed all the fun and excitement,” Nelson Deuitch said. “I’m glad to see that people of all ages have come out here today. I think it’s important that we expose more people to Michigan City’s rich history and the environmental assets of Lake Michigan and Trail Creek.”
For Saturday’s main event, 10-member teams from Urban Waters Federal Partnership; Global Engineering & Land Surveying; Butler, Fairmain & Seufert (BF&S); Michigan City Sanitary District; and Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department traveled down Trail Creek in 24-foot Voyageur canoes.
As they set out from beneath the John Lloyd Wright Memorial Bridge, the competitors chanted rowing cadences as they traveled toward the swing bridge and looped back to finish where they started.
In the end, it was BF&S who won the coveted Creeky Cup for their lap time of 16 minutes and 54 seconds. The Parks Department won the Team Spirit Award in recognition of team members’ positive attitudes.
Parks Superintendent Shannon Eason believes Creekness Stakes to be an important event for the community in more ways than one; but particularly in that the canoe race fundraiser supports Trail Creek Week, a five-day environmental education program that brings around 900 La Porte County fourth-graders to Hansen Park each September.
“We live in such a unique environmental area and we want to educate the community about it, especially our students,” she said. “During Trail Creek Week, the kids get to paddle the Voyageur canoes and learn how to measure water quality.
“They learn about the Michigan City area’s history, too. Many of them don't even know that they have a river right in their own backyard before they enter the program. It's an eye-opening experience for them and it gets them thinking about science and their environment early on. Our goal is to develop them into responsible stewards of this land.”
Nicole Messacar, senior environmental manager at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and member of the Trail Creek Watershed Partnership, has overseen Trail Creek Week since its founding in 2011. She hopes that both Trail Creek Week and the Creekness Stakes can continue to help change the public’s perception of Trail Creek.
“I grew up in Michigan City and people always said that Trail Creek was nasty,” Messacar said. “We have done so much work to improve the water quality and now you can safely paddle on it, fish in it, and even eat the fish you catch. It’s a safe and enjoyable place and we want to change the stigma around Trail Creek.
“We are so excited to have this amazing resource in Trail Creek here in Michigan City. Everyone who comes out to our events shows that they are excited about it, too, which is wonderful to see. We care about our water, and I think that Trail Creek Week and the Creekness Stakes demonstrate that.”
The mayor added, “The Trail Creek Watershed Partnership does an excellent job of getting information out there to the community. I pay close attention to the relationships between health disparities, health outcomes, and the social determinants of health. I wholeheartedly believe that being outdoors is the best form of exercise you can get, so I consider the Creekness Stakes to be very beneficial.”
The Trail Creek Watershed Partnership is dedicated to the preservation of the Trail Creek Watershed, which spans almost 10% of La Porte County. This organization’s membership consists of both private individuals and organizations like the Northwest Indiana Steelheaders, Save the Dunes, and the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.
Visit emichigancity.com for more upcoming events and announcements from the City of Michigan City.