Rockwall Breakfast Rotary sails into service to benefit community
Dallas Race Week is a corporate-sponsored sailing event benefiting community service projects of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club. This year's efforts raised more than $25,000!
The recent efforts of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club resulted in 9 separate community grants to deserving organizations. Immediate past-president Sharita Blacknall described rotary as "an organization that cares about its community, helping the elderly, putting shoes on kids' feet, helping pregnant women with important decisions and even better the water quality in impoverished areas like Malawi."
The 2011 Dallas Race Week began on Father’s Day, June 19, and continued through June 24, with festivities pivoting around The Harbor. This year, the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club rolled out the red carpet to the public.
“In the past,” said Bill Bricker, Dallas Race Week chair for the club, “this has been pretty much an event that was for the sailors. This is the first year we have really gone out and tried to bring the public into the race.”
“Our mission is to provide funding for programs that address issues of poverty, hunger, illiteracy and health care affecting our community,” said Rockwall Rotary’s communications coordinator Trenton Cornehl. “We believe our motto ‘Sail into Service’ represents the value placed on teamwork by sailors and community servants throughout history.”
Top sailors from around the area, including world champions, national champions, Olympic sailors and regional champions raced to win the final prize.
In spite of such a prestigious show, likely to draw notable supporters and enthusiasts to the event, “the VIP’s are the people,” said Bricker. “No one is more important than the individuals that contribute.”
Drawing onlookers in, and transitioning them from distant spectators to engaged participants, is the objective for 2011. Long before the race has even begun, the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club began to lure prospective attendees with a chance to win one of two iPad2's as well as other raffle prizes.
Dallas Race Week has an event history going back to 1982, always bridging the week of Summer Solstice in June and held on Lake Ray Hubbard. Over the years, it has evolved into a charity event to benefit the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club.
For more information about Dallas Race Week, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DallasRaceWeek.