Share the River is grateful and honored to announce the new event for the July 24, 2021 3rd Annual Blazing Paddles Paddlefest, an 8.6 mile recreational paddle and float on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, will be named in memory of Dave Vasarhelyi, a northeast Ohio conservation hero.

Blazing Paddles Paddlefest is a kayak, paddleboard and canoe recreational celebration of Cleveland’s historic and scenic Cuyahoga River at Rivergate Park, Cleveland Rowing Foundation and Cleveland Metroparks Merwin’s Wharf. Paddlers have two options to enjoy the Cuyahoga River: 1) the Dave Vasarhelyi Memorial, an 8.6-mile recreational paddle & float or 2) three races (the 2-mile Carl Stokes Memorial, the 5.4-mile Ruth Patrick Memorial, and the 13-mile Rachel Carson Memorial).

When we reached out to Dave’s wife, we did so with the knowledge of Dave’s work on behalf of The Trust for Public Land (TPL) to secure the former Commodore Club property, a recreational power boat storage facility and dock. That September 2010 purchase by TPL (watch the video below to hear Dave speak briefly about the project) gave the Cleveland Rowing Foundation enough time to raise funds to purchase the property, establishing a permanent home for recreation on the Cuyahoga River at Rivergate Park. That set the stage for a series of developments including the Crooked River Skatepark, Cleveland Metroparks Merwin’s Wharf, and the under construction Flats Platform Tennis Center. We could easily argue the initial purchase of the Commodore Club set the stage for the Vision for the Valley initiative currently underway.

Share the River’s rental of both the Cleveland Rowing Foundation and Cleveland Metroparks Merwin’s Wharf properties to host the 3rd Annual Blazing Paddles Paddlefest on July 24, 2021 provides a proper perspective on Dave’s vision: Put simply, no Dave, no TPL, no Rivergate Park, no Blazing Paddles Paddlefest. What we didn’t realize was we only had a partial understanding of the much broader swath that Dave’s work touched in northeast Ohio.

For an amazing summary of Dave’s life work, read the below perspectives courtesy of Dave’s wife, Jennie Vasarhelyi, and The Trust for Public Land.

Jennie Vasarhelyi:

Dave had two halves to his career. For the first half, he was a visitor & resource protection park ranger for the National Park Service. He did law enforcement, emergency medicine, search and rescue, wildland fire fighting, and visitor service. He made a career transition after he became the founder of West Creek Conservancy as a community volunteer. This endeavor started because he wanted to protect the open space where he played as a child in Parma from development. Through his volunteer work through West Creek, he gained many skills related to the work of land trusts.

In 2005, Dave made a career transition to work as a project manager for The Trust for Public Land. His work involved expanding and creating new parks, trails, and conservation areas. Most of this work was in land acquisition. He brought together willing land sellers, land buyers, and the funding to make it happen. He was a people person and a great negotiator who could bring people together. He also was a visionary. He could see the potential of a place and rally people around it.

Through The Trust for Public Land Dave worked on over 35 projects. His work contributed to new parks at the local, state and national level. In Cleveland, his work included land acquisition for the Scranton Road Peninsula section of the Towpath Trail, portions of the future Canal Basin Park, the Cleveland Rowing Foundation, Rivergate Park, and the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail. Until his untimely death in March 2020 at the age of 53, Dave represented The Trust for Public Land in the partnership that resulted in the Whiskey Island Bridge.

The Trust for Public Land:

the Trust for Public lands bill carrol and Dave Vasarhelyi at the Cleveland Rowing Foundation Ribbon cutting (May 17, 2011)

At The Trust for Public Land, Dave undertook many complex projects. He worked tirelessly to preserve Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument to commemorate the life of a formerly enslaved man who became a Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army and its first African American colonel.

Dave saved the Blossom Music Center and simultaneously expanded the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by nearly 800 acres. And he helped create the first publicly accessible riverfront park in Cleveland.

To us and many others, Dave was a conservation hero with an unmatched passion, enthusiasm, and love for the environment and Ohio. We miss his charismatic charm and dry sense of humor, his immense environmental knowledge, and his genuine compassion for others. Dave’s legacy lives on in the many incredible places he helped protect across the state and in his family.

Blazing Paddles’ July 24th date aligns with the 225th anniversary of Moses Cleaveland’s survey team landing at the confluence of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie on July 22, 1796.

Blazing Paddles is also an extension of Share the River’s 501(c)(3) motion to make Cleveland’s waterfront more vibrant and colorful by providing underserved populations the opportunity to safely recreate on the Cuyahoga River.

As we did in 2019, we provide free entry to Blazing Paddles and a free kayak rental to urban youth and their parent/guardian. For many kids, the river is in their back yard but they've never been ON the river. Our sponsors, partner organizations, and paddlers are helping us bridge that divide.

Now that you’ve digested this important part of Cleveland waterfront history, join us for a fun, engaging, and safe morning on the river by visiting the Blazing Paddles website and registering for the Dave Vasarhelyi Memorial Paddle & Float at the Race Roster registration page!

Register for the Dave vasarhelyi memorial paddle & float (July 22, 2023)

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