ATHOL — During an emotional moment amid the rowdy proceedings of the annual River Rat Race post-positions drawing, the Athol Lions Club honored one of their own.
River Rat Race Director Dave Flint called Lion Rebecca “Becky” Fortin to the stage where a few members of the River Rat Race Committee enveloped her with support. The cacophony of the hundreds of paddlers softened, and all eyes turned toward the somber pair.
Flint, voice cracking with emotion and blinking back tears, announced the coveted 26th annual Ted Crumb Big Cheese Award was being posthumously awarded to his long-time friend, Frank Fortin of Orange, a 26-year member of the Athol Lions Club and River Rat Race Committee.
A beloved member of the Athol Lions family, Fortin died at age 69 on Jan. 6. The Fortins had enjoyed 27 years together. Three years earlier, he had retired from the L.S. Starrett Co. A proud veteran, he had served in the U.S. Navy as a ship fitter and ship fireman.
A very active past president and Executive Board member of the Lions, Fortin was a familiar face at the many fundraising projects held throughout each year. As his widow accepted the plaque, which read in part, “… the award is bestowed in recognition of your outstanding support for the continued success of the River Rat Race,” the crowd stood and gave a thunderous ovation.
Established in 1993, the award was named after River Rat Race Commissioner Ted Crumb, who served from the inception of the race in 1964 to 1991, when its operation was taken over by the Athol Lions Club after an appeal by Flint to keep it going. It’s well known that the first race began as a barroom bet that included Crumb and his longtime race partner, Merritt Cleveland.
The Ted Crumb Big Cheese Award was the brainchild of Flint, who decided it was a fitting tribute to the man who had nurtured the race for 27 years, growing it from a few rag-tag canoes paddling down river to win a case of beer into a major annual event awarding thousands of dollars in prize money.
Flint proposed the award idea to Crumb, who was affronted and said, “For crissakes, I’m not even dead yet!” Crumb acquiesced when Flint said, “I didn’t say it was a ‘memorial’ award!” And, as promised, the first few years Flint first ran the nominee choices by Crumb for his approval.
Crumb died in August 2005, and the decision has since been made by a vote of the committee.
In 2010, the Big Cheese 5K Road Race/Walk was created and is held the morning of the Rat Race. It was named in memory of Crumb, who was often referred to as the “Big Cheese” when conversation turned to the River Rat Race.
The coveted award is bestowed on a business or individual(s) in recognition of outstanding support for the race.
1993 — Girardi Distributors;
1994 — Athol Daily News
1995 — Athol Fire Department
1996 — Northfield Dive Team
1997 — Orange, Royalston, New Salem, Petersham fire departments
1998 — Pete Strong
1999 — Nick Lyesiuk
2000 — Dave Dugas
2001 — Anthony Brighenti
2002 — Mohawk AM Radio
2003 — Tom Lozier
2004 — Al Lyman
2005 — Lester Legrand
2006 — Ellsworth Family
2007 — Athol and Orange police departments
2008 — Kevin Lecy and Dave “Red” Caldwell
2009 — Starr Cummings
2010 — John Bartus
2011 — Orange Highway Department
2012 — Athol Highway Department
2013 — Bill Ellsworth
2014 — Buddy Girardi
2015 — Athol Savings Bank
2016 — Jeff Mangum, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
2017 — Mass. State Police Underwater Rescue Team