The Howie Rauch Award

A good many years ago a Sterling Silver Bowl was donated to The Connecticut River Raft Race. This bequest was made in the loving memory of Howie Rauch and was presented by his friends and family. This unique icon honors a truly remarkable individual who adopted a special regard to each year's race and made huge contributions to its continued success and prosperity.

Unfortunately Howie met with an untimely demise. Soon after he had passed away family & friends sought to repay his steadfast devotion to the Raft Race with a special tribute to their fallen comrade. This marked the beginning of the Howie Rauch award.

Not Yet Engraved: 2022 - Jolly Julep ----- 2023 - Lee Jet ----- 2024 - Lee Jet

Each year this bowl is engraved with the name of the 1st overall raft to cross the finish line. To this date twenty-five rafts have received an honored spot on this bowl. This icon symbolizes all that The Connecticut River Raft Race stands for. It pays homage to the legion of rafters out there who hold dear to their heart the spirit of the river. These ambassadors preserve the history of the Raft Race in the Connecticut River Valley.