Paddleboat Project with New Britain at Stanley Quarter Park

In 2023, the New Britain-Berlin Rotary Club made a commitment to the city of New Britain to support the city’s efforts to bring back the tradition of paddleboats as family recreation activity in the newly dredged pond of Stanley Quarter Park. Restoring the paddleboats in the park was a goal of Mayor Erin Stewart for a number of years, and with a Rotary Club commitment of at least $45,000 over a three-year period, the paddleboats will be a reality beginning again in 2024, with more boats and dock materials being purchased each year. To this end, the Rotary Club collaborated with the city to begin a new tradition of recreation in the parks through the city’s first-ever Fun Run/Walk event now scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024. This will be a morning event that will feature a newly paved four-mile trail connecting Stanley Quarter and A.W. Stanley parks, and will raise funds for the paddleboat project and potentially other future recreation projects in the parks.