Roth Regatta 2026 Victory!

On May 1st, the Melville Library team made waves at the Roth Regatta with our one-of-a-kind vessel, the “Super Mario Book Kart” — and what a race it was!

Constructed entirely from repurposed library cardboard boxes and reinforced with plenty of duct tape, our canoe-inspired design (engineered by Adam Burgardt and Sebastian Galofaro) proved that creativity and teamwork can go a long way. To make it even more special, every team member left their mark by signing the boat with Sharpies — a true team effort from start to finish.

With perfect weather and even better energy, our crew launched and powered across the pond. Our rowers, Adam Burgardt and Sebastian Galofaro, led the charge to an incredible finish — fastest in the Speedster Division AND fastest overall!

Huge thanks to our dedicated pushers — Jeslyn Valdez, Vicky Lin, Samridh Samridh, Krishith Kuturu, and Andrew McGuirk — and our full team:
Adam Burgardt, Diego Cabiya, Jasmine Chen, Sebastian Galofaro, Annabel King, Krishith Kuturu, Alanis Kwan, Vicky Lin, Andrew McGuirk, Jeremiah Montero, Samridh Samridh, Francheska Tejeda, Amaia Torres, Jeslyn Valdez, and Ella Wu. This win belongs to all of you!

Our trophy will be proudly displayed in the Melville Library, and the Super Mario Book Kart is now on view in the North Reading Room — be sure to stop by and see this championship vessel in person!

Posted on behalf of Susan Connelly