DUNDEE, Mich. — Are you a boating enthusiast, or maybe love model vehicles? An event this weekend in Dundee, Michigan, celebrates both.
Founded in 1972, The Maumee Valley Model Boat Club celebrates all things miniature boating.
The group gathers twice a month to float, race, tinker and exchange tips on building and maintaining diverse model boats. They range in size and cost and vary from electric or steam engines. There are even some sailboats.
"You'll find that we have tugs, we have Coast Guard, we have military, we have cruisers, we have sailboats and steamboats and the whole 9 yards," Kris Stroud, Commodore of the MVMBC, said.
It's a growing group as well, increasing its membership from only 19 people to 35 over the last few years.
Alford Holliday was a part of the group when he was younger, and returned when he had more free time.
He said the hobby of model building is slowly becoming a lost art, and he hopes the group can continue its work of getting more people interested.
"When we grew up, a lot of us went to shop class and had to use our hands to do things," Holliday said. "I regret that now today it's all plug and play. They'll buy a boat that's ready to go, they don't build anything on their own."
The club is hosting a fun run on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cabela's in Dundee, Michigan. Model owners from across the Great Lakes region are expected to bring their boats.
"We'll give out raffle prizes, we'll have a 50/50 out here as well," Stroud said. "And of course, anybody and everybody is invited to stop by and join in the fun. We'll even have a couple of boats out here for people to give it a shot running it."
The hope is the family-friendly event can help introduce a younger generation to join, as members say you can spend as much or as little as you want to begin.
"There are simple to build things, there are more complex things to build, but you can put your own little ownership on it," Holliday said.
