Hello everyone and happy Monday! So today’s story is an important one to me. Not only am I going to tell you about a great event that raises money for an amazing cause, but it also signals another step in a return to normalcy for many of us here on island. And as an added bonus… Should you choose to support this event (and I hope many of you do!), you may be able to stay for free here on St. John. I know you’re intrigued, so please read on!
So let’s start with the event… For those of you who are longtime readers of News of St. John, you may recall the Chaotic Kayak event which raises money to bring wounded veterans to the island for a week of healing and relaxation. The fundraising event typically happened in the summer, and the veterans visited the island in November.
Well hurricanes Irma and Maria changed all of that last year. The veterans were unable to visit in November and the event did not take place this past summer.
About a month or so back I received an email from Gary Clark, one of the coordinators for Team River Runner. (TRR is the organization that brings the wounded veterans to the island.) Gary, who has brought veterans to the island since 2007, said how they wanted to hold the event but instead of raising money for the veterans, they wanted to raise money for us.
My immediate reaction was no. I thought we should definitely hold the event, but that the money should continue to be used to bring veterans to our beautiful island. The island is fortunate in that a lot of money has been donated to or allocated to us. But more importantly, holding the event as normal, in my opinion, would make us feel normal. And every little thing that makes us feel normal is a way to help us all move forward. Fortunately several other business owners had the same opinion.
So I am excited to tell you that the 2018 Chaotic Kayak race will be held on Sunday, November 18th on Cruz Bay beach!
So the way this event works is that teams compete against one another in a zany kayak race. As teams of three paddle against one another, they get pelted by water guns and doused by buckets of water as they make their way to and around the Sadie Sea. There are several heats and the winner takes home the coveted paddle.
The Rum Hut won last year and we came in third. We’ve got our eye on the prize this year, and here’s how you can help!
For every $100 we raise for the event, Team News of St. John will receive a five second head start for the kayak race. Last year we raised $3,730, and this year, we’d like to surpass that number!
And for those of you who may need a tad more encouragement to donate to Team News of St. John, we’re going to give one lucky donor a free stay here on St. John!
Island Abodes has graciously donated a $1,120 credit to stay in any of their vacation rentals for five or more nights. That’s a free stay in their Papaya or Garden Suite during low or shoulder season, or a pretty sweet discount on any of their rentals during any season. The stay must be completed by December 31, 2019 and most be for a stay of at least five nights.
So the way this is going to work is pretty simple. You can donate as little or as much as you’d like to Team News of St. John. For those of you who donate $20 or more, we’re going to put your name in a hat as a thank you. And on November 18th, we will pull the winner live from the event. We will broadcast this live on our Facebook page and will post it immediately after here on newsofstjohn.com.
Some rules that we have to include: Only people who donate $20 or more will be entered into the courtesy drawing. Your name will only be entered once per donation no matter the amount donated (provided it is $20 or more). The winner will be announced on November 18, 2018. We will accept donations through 9 p.m. EST on November 17, 2018. This is a courtesy drawing; it is not a raffle.
Now doesn’t all of this sound great??!!
For those of you who would like to donate to Team News of St. John for the 2018 Chaotic Kayak race, you can do so securely on the Chaotic Kayak‘s official race website. Please click here to donate.
If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected]. To learn more about Island Abodes and their beautiful vacation rentals that are close to Cruz Bay, please visit www.islandabodes.com