PHOTOS: Racers Have a Ball at Floating Zucchini Kayak Relay

Smart Farm of Barrington held another unique fundraising event last weekend.

held the first-ever Floating Zucchini Kayak Relay at Palatine's Twin Lakes Recreational Center on Sunday, Aug. 28. 

Kayakers signed up for the race in teams of two or four. At the start of the race, the first team member kayaked across the lake, grabbed a hidden vegetable in the water, and paddled back to shore for the next relay member to take off. Once all team members had their turn in the kayak, they each assembled a sculpture made out of the vegetables found in the lake. 

"I thought it was really fun to do something that I've always wanted to do in a safe environment," kayaker Becky Fiedler said. "The people were extremely friendly. Everyone seemed to have a great time there."

All registration fees from the event go directly to Smart Farm. The group harvests hundreds of pounds of fresh vegetables each year and donates 100 percent of that to local food pantries.

Smart Farm's unique approach to fundraising events certainly has people talking, and has many participants excited to be a part of it all again next year. 

"I hope they do it again next year," Fiedler said.