Help Float Our Boat – Launch Party is a community fundraising event taking place at Green Mountain Community Fitness on Saturday, November 21, 2026, with the main public event running from 7:00–11:00 PM. The event supports Cady and Team Rising Tide as they work toward the start line of the 2027 World’s Toughest Row across the Atlantic Ocean. The larger goal is to use the journey and the attention it generates to raise awareness and support for the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, which expands access and opportunity through rowing.
The intention is to create a fun, highly interactive Atlantic Adventure Night where people can move throughout GMCF, learn about ocean rowing, experience pieces of the challenge themselves, support the fundraising effort, and better understand the mission behind it.
Welcome Aboard GMCF
Guests will arrive through the front lobby, where tickets will be collected and each person will receive an Atlantic Experience Passport and event map. They can then travel throughout the facility visiting different themed zones and collecting stamps or stickers along the way. Experiences will range from funny and playful to educational and immersive, including:
- Ocean navigation and route mapping
- Team Rising Tide and the Atlantic crossing
- Life aboard an ocean rowing boat
- Food and water-making
- Safety and emergency scenarios
- Wave heights
- Knot tying
- Cady’s tiny sleeping quarters
- The infamous “Where do you poop?” question and
- A dedicated 2 A.M. Row Experience designed to give guests a small taste of rowing alone in the middle of the night!
Movie Night for a Good Cause
A dedicated studio will become the A Most Beautiful Thing space, with movie viewing at 8:15 PM (95 minutes) and information about the book, film, and A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund. This is an important part of the event story: Help Float Our Boat is about helping Team Rising Tide fund the significant costs required to reach the start line, with the intention of turning the Atlantic crossing into a much larger platform for fundraising, awareness, and impact.
Enter to Win – and Learn
The evening will also include a raffle and silent auction, with donated products, gift certificates, experiences, adventures, dining, lodging, services, and other contributions from local businesses. Guests will have opportunities throughout the experience to donate directly and support the fundraising campaign.
At 7:30 PM, Cady will welcome everyone and briefly share the story behind Team Rising Tide, why she is taking on the Atlantic, what it takes to reach the starting line, and why the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund matters to her.
The All Night ROWdown
At 8:00 PM, the All Night ROWdown begins on the pickleball courts, and around the world! This is a separate competition contained within the larger Help Float Our Boat event. Four-person teams will each have two Concept2 RowErgs and compete to accumulate the most meters over 12 hours. Teams will simultaneously compete to raise the most money for Team Rising Tide. Hourly business-sponsored fundraising challenges will create matches, meter goals, donor challenges, mystery unlocks, and other fundraising opportunities throughout the night into the morning. At the same time, a virtual competition will also be underway, allowing individuals, gyms, rowing clubs, businesses, and other groups outside GMCF to participate remotely from anywhere in the world, even if they can’t be present at GMCF!
The public Help Float Our Boat experience wraps up around 11:00 PM, but the ROWdown does not. Teams continue rowing and fundraising through midnight, 2 AM, sunrise, and finally handles down at 8:00 AM on Sunday, November 22.
The raffle drawing will take place at 10:45 PM and the Silent Auction will close at 8:00 AM Sunday morning!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 21, 2026 and join us for one of the most unique and adventurous experiences you’ll ever have (almost) on the high seas!
