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By Ken Jones ^
K4TW 2014 Cornin’Atcha
One of the key ingredients to the character of our town is how we rally around
a common cause and make a difference in that cause. For six years we have done
just that with our annual Kayak for the Warriors events. We will mark our 7th year
when we celebrate Warrior Weekend from June 5-7. All events are fundraisers for
Hope for the Warriors®.
Hope for the Warriors® is a United States nonprofit organization that provides
assistance to combat-wounded service members, their families and families of
those killed in action. The organization focuses on those involved in Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families. Hope for the
Warriors* recently received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and was high
lighted by President George W. Bush in the Warrior Open.
Kayak for the Warriors, a Pine Knoll Shores event, is locally managed to raise
funds, put on entirely by volunteers and attended by people from across the country.
The schedule of events is as follows:
On June 5, from 3-7 p.m., there is a tour of 13 beautiful homes on the ocean,
sound and canals in Pine Knoll Shores. Your $30 ticket includes the tour and the
Aquarium for the Warriors reception immediately following the homes tour.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will be a new venue for the
warrior reception and silent and live auctions, which include works by local art
ists and goods and services from local businesses. Stroll through the aquarium in
climate-controlled comfort to view the exhibits and bid on silent auction items
while sampling a variety of wines, beer and heavy hors dbeuvres. The reception be
gins immediately following the home tour at 7 p.m., and the live auction will begin
at 7:30.
The main event is Saturday, June 7. The 3.2-mile kayak and paddleboard race
through Pine Knoll Shores canals begins at 10 a.m. A $45 registration fee includes
a Warrior t-shirt and lunch. We are encouraging participants to create their own
team of sponsors. Please see the Kayak for the Warriors website
(www.kayakforthewarriors.org) for all the race specifics and sponsor information.
The actual race through the canal is very exciting with all the flags, music and
cheering. There is no way to describe it other than inspiring fun. You don’t have to
be a racer to enter and paddle the route—the more the merrier!
A Family Fun Race starts at 10:30 a.m. A $15 registration fee also includes lunch.
Participants can use any paddle-worthy vessel in order to compete in the race.
Both the Fun 5K and lOK bike rides through Pine Knoll Shores start and end at
McNeill Park and begin at 8:30 a.m. Please arrive by 8 a.m. in order to register. Hie
$15 registration fee includes lunch. Participants are encouraged to decorate their
bikes in support of the warriors.
After all bikers and kayak racers finish, an awards ceremony and hot dog feast
will begin at 11:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. at Garner Park. For those not racing in
any other events, the cost to participate in the lunch is $5 per person and does in
clude Linda Cumberland’s special Coney sauce.
This is it: the event in Carteret County, and it’s for a great cause. Plan early and
visit our website (shown above). All volunteers, all fundraisers, all supporters ... it’s
fun for your whole family. Join us and make it a weekend to remember!
"We Welcome -
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PHARMACY & HOME MEDICAL
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14 The Shoreline I March 2014