Yachts for Tots Intracoastal Christmas Regatta 2018
October 29, 2018
Christmas morning, if you’re lucky, will arrive and you’ll wake up to a day filled with time spent with family and friends; packages to open; a feast of turkey and all the trimming and, if you’ve been very good; some surprises from Santa!
There are at least 300 families in Horry County that will be waking up to another day of struggle, thanks to the impact Hurricanes Florence and Michael had on their home or their business. They’ve lost everything. Some are lucky enough to have family or friends close by who have been able to open up their homes to offer refuge. Others have found space in a hotel while others are living in tents.
A lot of these displaced families have school-aged children.
Since 1985, the purpose of Yachts for Tots has been to connect the Little River/NMB boating community to the children in Horry County to help them with needs that might not be met through traditional agencies. They network through school principals, guidance counselors and teachers to fill those needs. It could be anything from helping a child get a hearing aid or glasses to helping make sure Santa finds them Christmas morning. They’re able to do this through the fundraising activities associated with the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, a Thanksgiving tradition in Horry County. All gifts, donations and proceeds go to the children in Horry County.
With all the needs generated by the Hurricanes, the committee responsible for raising funds has decided to ask the community to go an extra nautical mile this year. They’re still asking for monetary donations; are still collecting new, unwrapped toys and are still urging donations of pet supplies and food. This year, they’re adding non-perishable food items to help supply food banks to the list and they’re asking for some professional help from anyone who might be able to donate medical, dental or personal assistance.
“We’re asking local professionals to donate ‘in-kind’ certificates specifically for kids to help them get back to a normal life, in spite of their current living conditions,” says Cathy Honeycutt, who has been working on the committee that organizes the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta for nearly 10 years. “Examples include dentists who might be able to offer a few certificates for a free dental cleaning or a barber or hairstylist who might donate certificates for a free haircut,” says Honeycutt, adding that the possibilities are endless. “Restaurants could offer a certificate for a free meal or a movie theatre could offer a few movie tickets.”
The committee responsible for the Regatta is also urging boat owners and captains to register to participate. “Boat registration fees are another way we raise funds,” says Honeycutt. “That, and t-shirt sales.” The t-shirts are different from year-to-year and feature the official logo of the event on the back. For details about entering your boat, call Harbourgate Marina at 843.249.8888.
The community is encouraged to like and follow the Yachts for Tots Intracoastal Christmas Regatta on Facebook and on Instragram. Their website address is http://christmasregatta.com/
There are at least 300 families in Horry County that will be waking up to another day of struggle, thanks to the impact Hurricanes Florence and Michael had on their home or their business. They’ve lost everything. Some are lucky enough to have family or friends close by who have been able to open up their homes to offer refuge. Others have found space in a hotel while others are living in tents.
A lot of these displaced families have school-aged children.
Since 1985, the purpose of Yachts for Tots has been to connect the Little River/NMB boating community to the children in Horry County to help them with needs that might not be met through traditional agencies. They network through school principals, guidance counselors and teachers to fill those needs. It could be anything from helping a child get a hearing aid or glasses to helping make sure Santa finds them Christmas morning. They’re able to do this through the fundraising activities associated with the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, a Thanksgiving tradition in Horry County. All gifts, donations and proceeds go to the children in Horry County.
With all the needs generated by the Hurricanes, the committee responsible for raising funds has decided to ask the community to go an extra nautical mile this year. They’re still asking for monetary donations; are still collecting new, unwrapped toys and are still urging donations of pet supplies and food. This year, they’re adding non-perishable food items to help supply food banks to the list and they’re asking for some professional help from anyone who might be able to donate medical, dental or personal assistance.
“We’re asking local professionals to donate ‘in-kind’ certificates specifically for kids to help them get back to a normal life, in spite of their current living conditions,” says Cathy Honeycutt, who has been working on the committee that organizes the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta for nearly 10 years. “Examples include dentists who might be able to offer a few certificates for a free dental cleaning or a barber or hairstylist who might donate certificates for a free haircut,” says Honeycutt, adding that the possibilities are endless. “Restaurants could offer a certificate for a free meal or a movie theatre could offer a few movie tickets.”
The committee responsible for the Regatta is also urging boat owners and captains to register to participate. “Boat registration fees are another way we raise funds,” says Honeycutt. “That, and t-shirt sales.” The t-shirts are different from year-to-year and feature the official logo of the event on the back. For details about entering your boat, call Harbourgate Marina at 843.249.8888.
The community is encouraged to like and follow the Yachts for Tots Intracoastal Christmas Regatta on Facebook and on Instragram. Their website address is http://christmasregatta.com/
Contact:
Susie Watson
pambane@aol.com, (843) 249-8888
