Pa. man wins ride in George Washington’s boat as part of Delaware River crossing fundraiser

Pa. man wins ride in George Washington’s boat

PHILADELPHIA — George Washington will have a tourist along for the ride on Christmas Day.

Home builder Thomas Fischer will don period garb and take a seat in the lead boat for the annual re-enactment of Washington’s 1776 crossing of the Delaware River. Fischer, of Newtown, Pa., won an auction to float across the Delaware with costumed history buffs.

Thousands turn out every year to watch three large boats navigate from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. But the re-enactment near Philadelphia is imperiled by government budget cuts that have closed a visitor center on the Pennsylvania side.

The auction that Fischer won with a $3,500 bid is part of a fundraising campaign to save the annual event.

He says he is thrilled to help recreate the event that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War.