Over 30 teams are set to sail in the 2022 Fisher Regatta, kicking off Friday at St. Mary’s Lake.
The Regatta is Fisher Hall’s signature fundraiser that the hall hosts every year to raise money for St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend.
Most dorms enter at least one homemade boat in the race. Other student organizations enter boats as well.
This year, the Regatta consists of a women’s bracket from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and a men’s or mixed bracket from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. The race has multiple heats and is single-elimination. Each boat can hold two to eight people, and there’s only two rules: no motors or actual boats — each team must handcraft their ship.
Fisher Regatta commissioner Alex Taylor said there are a range of different types of boats each year.
“We’ve seen boats as simple as ... tying a piece of wood to swimmers’ legs,” Taylor said. “Other people build like massive pontoons, and they race in that.”
Boats that are passed down year-to-year within a dorm or group are generally successful, Taylor said.
Last year, the Fisher Regatta raised over $20,000, which was more than ever before. The donation was used to build a fence surrounding the building to ensure the students’ safety.
This year, the money that is raised will go towards improving St. Adalbert’s heating and cooling systems, Taylor said.
During the event, money is raised in a variety of ways. Each team pays a $50 boat entry fee, shirts are sold at the Regatta and other donations are accepted through the Notre Dame Student Shop and the Fisher Hall Facebook page.
Taylor said that apart from the Regatta, Fisher Hall residents also volunteer their time at St. Adalbert every Monday through Thursday, where they help the children with their homework and serve as mentors.
“It’s a cause that means a lot to us,” Taylor explained. “This year will be the first year that the children of St. Adalbert’s get to come and watch the Regatta. They’ll be there for like the last hour or two, which will be fun.”
Sophomore Mary Rozembajgier is the captain of the boat from Johnson Family Hall. She plans on racing with four friends. Their boat will be built with a base of inner tubes, cardboard tubes and duct tape, she said.
Rozembajgier explained that she was the captain of the Johnson Family Hall boat last year as well. Her boat design was similar, as it also had a base of inner tubes, she said.
“The inner tubes, I think, are a good idea because you know you’re going to stay up,” Rozembajgier said. “I’m a little worried because this year it’s supposed to snow, so I don’t want to sink.”
Rozembajgier said she likes participating because she believes it is a good cause, and the ‘Fishermen’ put their hearts into it.
Taylor said the Regatta means a lot to the men of Fisher Hall because they are able to provide for the children of St. Adalbert.
“We relish this opportunity to be able to donate our time and hopefully … bring in some money for St. Adalbert’s to help them fund some things that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” Taylor said.
