Buffalo State Maritime Center and Police Athletic League <br />to Launch Boats on Hoyt Lake
Rowboats will once again grace Hoyt Lake as "Boats on the Lake," a community project of Buffalo State College and the Police Athletic League, stages a boat launch at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 29, on Hoyt Lake.
The six 15 ½-foot rowing skiffs were designed by Dr. John Montague, Buffalo State College professor of technology, and built by 16 at-risk inner-city youths at the college's boat shop. An eight- by 10-foot summer boat shelter to store oars, lifejackets and other boating equipment in appropriate period style was also designed and built at Buffalo State's maritime center.
The boats, to be manned by trained youths from the Police Athletic League, will be available for hire this summer for rides on Delaware Park's scenic lake.
"This cooperative effort between the maritime center and the Police Athletic League holds great promise for the future," Montague said. "The Police Athletic League, which serves some 25,000 youth in the area, is the perfect conduit for our reaching the populations we seek. Their courses in swimming, life-saving and scuba diving are excellent complements to our projects,"
Montague said the value of Boats on the Lake operates on several levels. Not only will there be greater public access to the lake as intended by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux when they designed the park lake, but the boat building process with inner-city children has long-range effects of building self-esteem and a sense of ownership and responsibility for the city's public spaces. Finally, the enthusiastic involvement of community volunteers and donors promises exciting new projects for the future, said Montague, who praised the fundraising efforts of businessman Anthony Diina.
From the beginning of Buffalo State's boat design and building program nearly 14 years ago, community outreach has been an important mission. Working with groups as diverse as the Native American Magnet School to Children's Hospital, special programs and special boats have been designed and built to develop self-esteem and introduce the subjects of design, science, math and ecology in a compelling way to inner-city youth.
The six 15 ½-foot rowing skiffs were designed by Dr. John Montague, Buffalo State College professor of technology, and built by 16 at-risk inner-city youths at the college's boat shop. An eight- by 10-foot summer boat shelter to store oars, lifejackets and other boating equipment in appropriate period style was also designed and built at Buffalo State's maritime center.
The boats, to be manned by trained youths from the Police Athletic League, will be available for hire this summer for rides on Delaware Park's scenic lake.
"This cooperative effort between the maritime center and the Police Athletic League holds great promise for the future," Montague said. "The Police Athletic League, which serves some 25,000 youth in the area, is the perfect conduit for our reaching the populations we seek. Their courses in swimming, life-saving and scuba diving are excellent complements to our projects,"
Montague said the value of Boats on the Lake operates on several levels. Not only will there be greater public access to the lake as intended by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux when they designed the park lake, but the boat building process with inner-city children has long-range effects of building self-esteem and a sense of ownership and responsibility for the city's public spaces. Finally, the enthusiastic involvement of community volunteers and donors promises exciting new projects for the future, said Montague, who praised the fundraising efforts of businessman Anthony Diina.
From the beginning of Buffalo State's boat design and building program nearly 14 years ago, community outreach has been an important mission. Working with groups as diverse as the Native American Magnet School to Children's Hospital, special programs and special boats have been designed and built to develop self-esteem and introduce the subjects of design, science, math and ecology in a compelling way to inner-city youth.
Media Contact:
Nanette Tramont, Director of News Services | 7168784325 | newsservices@bscmail.buffalostate.edu