Few things are more satisfying than getting together with a group of like-minded folks and establishing a new tradition. Recently, Friends of the Fox River did exactly that with an enormous circle of river-loving Friends joining together to showcase the Fox River as a magnificent paddling destination. A new annual tradition kicked off June 22, 2025, with the first-ever EL CARDUNAL paddle.
96 paddlers signed up to traverse six beautiful miles of the Fabulous Fox! National Water Trail. EL CARDUNAL paddlers launched from downtown Algonquin, paddled through scenic riverscapes in Carpentersville and disembarked in East Dundee. They were accompanied throughout by 13 safety paddlers from our Friends at Prairie State Canoeists.
Not an event meant solely for competitive paddlers or for frequent recreational paddlers,
EL CARDUNAL welcomed new paddlers and families with children. Attention to everyone’s safety was paramount. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and water-rescue-certified firemen from the Algonquin, Carpentersville and East Dundee Fire Departments were on and in the river as well as onshore. June 22nd was forecasted as an extremely hot day, so 72 hours prior to the event the East Dundee Fire Marshal established additional plans for a cooling station and even arranged for The Department of Homeland Security to lend us a generator to power misting fans.
Months of effort went into organizing the EL CARDUNAL inaugural paddle and a heartfelt thank you is extended to each of the following organizations/Friends:
•Kane County Planning Department/Fabulous Fox! National Water Trail for planning & marketing assistance, swag bags, and volunteers
•Kane County Forest Preserve District for planning assistance, organization, staffing the interpretive site
•Mid America Canoe Race/Fox Valley Park District for sharing logistical and planning insights, documents and know-how
•Howling Wolfe Outfitters for logistical planning and discounted kayak rentals
•Prairie State Canoeists for safety planning & coordination as well as experienced safety boaters on duty during the event
•The Police and Fire departments of East Dundee, Algonquin and Carpentersville for safety planning, swift water rescue boats, standby ambulances and EMTs, and trained water rescue personnel
•The Departments of Public Works in Algonquin, East Dundee and Carpentersville for signage, prepping shoreline/parks, and traffic management
•The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for dam safety information, safety checks of canoes/kayaks and lifejackets at the launch site
•Representative Suzanne Ness’s office for logistics planning and volunteers
•The Village of East Dundee for being a founding financial sponsor, providing special events staff for planning assistance, use of public boat launch and Bartels Park
•The Village of Carpentersville for being a founding financial sponsor and for special events staff for planning assistance
•The Village of Algonquin for providing planning assistance and the use of a boat launch and Cornish Park
•Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates School District #54 high school student volunteers earning service credit for help transporting boats at the launch and landing
•The Conservation Foundation for planning & marketing assistance and volunteers
A very special thank you to EL CARDUNAL financial sponsors and in-kind contributions: Hey and Associates, an environmental engineering company, the Zeller Creative Group, T&L Graphic Systems, Gilmore Marketing, the Village of Carpentersville and the Village of East Dundee.
And to the more than 50 individual volunteers who did everything from registration to directing traffic to collecting trash at the day’s end.
Our apologies to anyone inadvertently omitted from the thank you list.
