Every year, thousands of people cheer as more than a dozen plywood boats race across Wascana Lake. As the makeshift boats battle it out, many sink while others miraculously triumph until one is declared the champion.

The event has become a staple of Canada Day in Regina’s Wascana Park – the Plywood Cup. It is the brainchild of Mauro Montanini, a committee member of Regina’s Canadian Progress Club, who got inspiration for the event from a club in another city.

In 2005, the stars aligned to make the first ever Plywood Cup a roaring success. It came on the heels of the ‘Big Dig’, a massive project that deepened and improved Wascana Lake. Sponsors and participants jumped onboard immediately. The inaugural event raised more than $12,000, and a lot of attention.

“We thought there’d be a few hundred people watching,” Mauro remembers. “When somewhere north of 5,000 people showed up, we were blown away. We weren’t prepared for that crowd but we had a lot of fun doing it.”

They’ve been having fun with the event ever since. Many teams return year after year, not only because it’s a great team building activity, but also because pledges go to a great cause – pediatric care in Regina.

“Our club decided many years ago that we would support causes that had to do with children’s health and well-being, and were local,” explains Mauro. “We saw a need that was unfulfilled and we agreed to support it going forward. It’s been a good fit for many years and we expect it to continue that way.”

The event is now going on its 15th year, raising a lifetime total of $700,000 and a lot of memories for everyone involved.

“We raise $50-$60,000 each year, but we deliver a million smiles and it’s an event that’s become part of the fabric of Regina,” Mauro says proudly. “Whether you’re eight or 80, you can enjoy the event.”

Plywood Cup chair Travis Brown says the club has a goal of reaching a lifetime total of $750,000 in its 15th year.

“If we can surpass that, fantastic,” Travis says. “If we have that ability, I think it will be quite an amazing feat.”

Travis says there are no big surprises for the 15th year of the event, just the usual pieces that make it successful: great sponsors, participants, spectators, and great support for the cause, made possible by the Progress Club.

“I really have to tip my hat to the other Progress Club members because if we didn’t have the volunteers to put it together, we wouldn’t have anything,” Travis explains. “There’s a lot of work that happens behind the scenes to make it a success.”

“Not only is the Plywood Cup a fun and memorable event, it has resulted in a significant investment in pediatric services in Regina’s hospitals,” says Dino Sophocleous, president and CEO, Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “Thanks to community partners like the Canadian Progress Club, we are able to invest into the best technology and care that Regina’s children deserve, right here at home.”