A boat of her own
Katie Scardina celebrates after winning a pontoon boat valued at nearly $70,000 in a drawing at the Hagadone Marine Center on Saturday.
BILL BULEY/Press
A crowd waits for the drawing of a winner of a new pontoon boat at the Hagadone Marine Center on Saturday.
Katie Scardina is congratulated by Hagadone Marine Group President Craig Brosenne, left, and Ryan Holmes, HMG general manager, after winning a pontoon boat at the Hagadone Marine Center on Saturday.
COEUR d’ALENE — Katie Scardina has friends with boats, but has never owned one.
She does now.
The Coeur d’Alene woman won a new 2023 Barletta pontoon boat valued at nearly $70,000 on Saturday at the Hagadone Marine Center.
The 21-foot boat was given away courtesy of the Hagadone Marine Group.
“I just can’t believe it,” Scardina said.
About 1,500 people attended the event that capped the Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo from Feb. 1 to Feb. 6. Because you had to be present to win, there was a rush to get there in the final minutes. Some ran frantically to reach the drawing scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Pretty much every parking space at Blackwell Island was taken as traffic backed up on U.S. 95. Many parked on the highway shoulder and started walking and running the half-mile or so to the marine center.
“We’ve only got a few minutes,” said one man as he jogged the final stretch.
The boat giveaway was new to the Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo.
Attendees received Golden Tickets to write their contact information on and enter in the drawing.
“We’re such an icon in the boating community, what better way to celebrate than giving a boat away to one of our customers,” said Craig Brosenne, HMG president.
“We’re the leaders in the market so we’re happy to do it,” he said.
He said because there was big crowd trying to get to the Hagadone Marine Center, they delayed the drawing a few minutes.
They were delighted with the turnout.
“It was wonderful to see all these people here,” Brosenne said.
Five people whose names were called each received a key to try in a lock. The first two didn’t open it, but Scardina’s did and she smiled and raised her arms in victory as people cheered and friends soon surrounded her offering congratulations.
Scardina said when her name was called for the drawing, it seemed like a dream. And when her key turned the lock, it was at first disbelief, then joy.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
Scardina attended the boat expo with a friend, who bought a boat, and entered a Golden Ticket.
She didn’t expect to win, but came to drawing anyway, arriving 30 minutes early, and that almost wasn't enough time.
“We barely made it in,” she said.
Scardina isn’t quite sure yet if she’ll keep the pontoon boat or sell, but she knows she's happy to have a boat of her own.
“I love being out on the water,” she said.
