The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

Outdoors

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
August 2, 2011

Recyclers sought for raft race

Submitted by the Coosa River Basin Initiative

ROME — On Saturday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. a band of merry pirates will set off from Ridge Ferry Park in everything from duck-tape boats to highly-engineered paddlewheel rafts, but these zany sailors will all have one thing in common — their vessels will be constructed using found objects and recycled materials.

The Blue Sky Outfitter Recycled Raft Race will float down the Oostanaula and Coosa as  part of the Coosa River Basin Initiative’s River Revelry—A Biodiversity Bash, an annual fundraiser that supports the organization’s efforts to protect our drinking water and North America’s most biologically-diverse river basin.  

Many teams are already forming and the one-of-a-kind vessels are being built in backyards, basements and storage areas throughout the area.

Participants in the Race will compete for a $200 cash purse, plus gift certificates and prizes from Blue Sky Outfitter and Barefoot Wine and Bubbly. The First Loser (second place finisher) will receive $100 and the Best Engineered vessel will also earn a $100 prize.

Barefoot Wine & Bubbly will provide a wine gift package to the crew that incorporates the most unusual piece of river trash into the raft design. Gift certificates and prizes will also be awarded in the following categories:  Most Colorful, Most Oddly Shaped, Most Original and Most Enthusiastic

Entry fees are $50 per raft, with the “Captain” of each raft receiving a complimentary ticket to River Revelry. River Revelry will be held at the Race finish line in Heritage Park. Raft teams can register at www.coosa.org or call Blue Sky Outfitter at (706) 235-6091.

“Last year we had six unique vessels and everyone had a great time,” said Herrick Kroeger of Blue Sky Outfitter in Rome. “The crowd at River Revelry provides a great venue for showing off these feats of engineering, or in some cases—failed feats of engineering.”

The event is sponsored by Q102, South 107, WRGA, The Rebel 104.9, Floyd Medical Center, State Mutual Insurance, V3 Magazine, Eagle Rock Distributing, Seven Hills Rotary Club of Rome, Southern Heritage Land Co., New Belgium Brewing, Blue Sky Outfitter, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, 7 Visuals Graphic Design, Cycle Therapy, River City Bank, Dixie Homecrafters, Old Havana Cigar Co, Keep Rome-Floyd Beautiful, Fast Printing, The Finnell Firm, Carvalho & Associates, Ralph White & Friends, Clinton & Gena Agnew, Paper Recovery of Rome and Heritage First Bank.

Blue Sky Outfitter is a retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment located in Cartersville and Rome. Earlier this year, CRBI honored the company with its Corporate Citizen Award for its support of CRBI events.

CRBI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of informing and empowering citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically diverse river basin. All proceeds from the event support CRBI’s efforts to protect our the region’s drinking water sources and North America’s most biologically diverse river basin.

For more information contact Joe Cook at (706) 232-2724 or jcook@coosa.org or Herrick Kroeger at (706) 235-6091 or hkroeger28@yahoo.com.

Text Only
Outdoors