Thank You Flood Zone Brewery for Making Waves of Support!

The New Windsor Fire Department extends our heartfelt gratitude to Flood Zone Brewery in Union Bridge for hosting the 2025 Mini Boat Parade, a tradition that continues to bring our community together for fun, creativity, and a great cause.

This year’s event was a record-breaking success, raising over $40,000 to support local fire service! Thanks to the generosity of the brewery, participants, sponsors, and community members, both the New Windsor and Union Bridge Fire Departments proudly received checks for $20,500 each. These funds will go directly toward supporting our mission, maintaining lifesaving equipment, and ensuring our firefighters are trained and ready to protect the community we all love.

Honoring Tradition & Service

For six years, Flood Zone Brewery has led the charge in organizing this vibrant, family-friendly event. Beyond the fun of boat building and parade festivities, the Mini Boat Parade represents what makes our community strong—neighbors coming together to support their hometown heroes.

This year, our boat entry honored Mr. Howard Cassell Roop, a charter member of the New Windsor Fire Department and a true hometown hero. Mr. Roop’s service to our town and to our country, including his time in the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marines during WWII, remains an inspiring reminder of dedication, sacrifice, and community spirit.

A Week of Fun for a Cause

From paint nights to cornhole tournaments, dunk tanks, and the much-anticipated Sunday parade and awards ceremony, every moment of Boat Week celebrated community pride and raised vital funds for fire and rescue services. The friendly competition, cheering crowds, and spirited support made this year’s event truly unforgettable.

Community Partners Who Made It Possible

Events like these are only successful because of the incredible businesses and organizations that step up to sponsor, donate, and participate. We extend a huge thank you to the following supporters whose generosity keeps this tradition alive:

Performance Food Service • APS Firehouse Alerting • Lone Star Barbeque • Wastler Auto Service, LLC • A & W Country Meats • Crouse Ford Sales, Inc • Melissa Divers-Reed Re/Max Solutions • Wantz Chevrolet, Inc • Cassell's Kids (Mike, Neal, Kim & Todd Roop) • Tim Crews Plumbing Service, LLC • Shannon-Baum Signs • Uniontown Ag Services • Logues, Inc • Springdale Village • Yox Customs, Inc • Jesco Training Associates, LLC • R U Snappy, Inc • Rickell Construction, LLC • Condon Excavation, LLC • Burgan Inc, Plumbing Services • Good Friday Farms, LLC • Hoober, Inc • Carroll Occupational Health • New Windsor Lions Club • Hartzler Funeral Home, P.A. • Eclectic Motor Company • Rosa Heating & Cooling • Robin Ford Building & Remodeling, Inc • Blush Studio • Ichabods Tree Experts • Lentzners Auto Repair • Sterling Quality Water

…and many more individuals and organizations whose contributions and time made the 2025 Mini Boat Parade an overwhelming success.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on this year’s incredible turnout and fundraising results, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to have such a strong and supportive community. Flood Zone Brewery has truly made a lasting impact, not just for our department, but for everyone who relies on local fire and rescue services.

To everyone who donated, built a boat, voted, or simply came out to cheer us on—thank you. You are the reason we can continue to serve and protect our town every day.

Stay tuned for details about next year’s event, and let’s keep making waves together!

From all of us at the New Windsor Fire Department—thank you for your support!