PaddleFEST 2005 is coming to Mauch Chunk Lake
Park, Jim Thorpe on Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit
Dream Come True. PaddleFEST will be a great opportunity for
anyone wanting to learn to paddle. It will give beginners the
opportunity to learn some strokes, try out newest models of kayaks and
mingle with the kayaking experts. Experts will be available to answer
all of your questions.
Learn kayaking in festival atmosphere
The kayak demo day will be wrapped around a festival
at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, with food, music and crafters, giving
everyone (paddlers or not) the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor splendor
of the lake park. Members of the Lehigh Valley Canoe Club and
instructors from Northeast Pa. Kayak School will share
information and give mini-lessons on various kayaking issues, such as
beginning paddling, water rescue, and other safety issues, plus the
public will have the opportunity to watch these experts race and play.
There will also be experts available to answer all of your questions
about the various types of boats which will be available to demo.
The cost?
Donations will be accepted at the gate and those who
want to demo watercraft throughout the day will pay $10 for a wristband,
which will be good for use all day long.
Outfitters coming!
Five local outfitters bringing demo kayaks are: The
Pocono Boat House, Route 940, Blakeslee; Nestors, Whitehall
and Quakertown; Pocono Whitewater Adventures, Jim Thorpe; Lehigh
River Bait and Bow, Allentown, and Blue Mountain Sports, Jim
Thorpe.
Entertainment, too!!!
Entertainment will be provided by The Dream Kids,
featuring Kristal Nemeroff, one of the Dream Come True children,
along with other local talent. Please check back for updates.
Proceeds benefit local children's
charity
The proceeds from the festival will benefit Dream
Come True, Blue Ridge Chapter, a local non-profit organization which
fulfills wishes of children who are terminally or seriously ill. Dream
Come True provides dreams for seriously, chronically and terminally
ill children in the local area. Currently there are 20 children
in Carbon County who are eligible for dreams, but funds are needed to
fulfill their requests. Dream Come True has fulfilled nearly 800
dreams in the Lehigh Valley area. To volunteer or help sponsor the event
or for additional information call Event Coordinator Gail Maholick at
610-377-5559 or 610-533-9311 (cell).
"We see this event as being good for tourism
in the local community, including bringing new visitors to Mauch Chunk
Lake Park," said Gail Maholick, coordinator. "I want to
especially thank the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission and the board
of Mauch Chunk Lake Park for their expertise in planning the event, members
of the Lehigh Valley Canoe Club for staffing the classes, and the many
local outfitters who are graciously bringing their demo boats for
visitors to try and the local businesses who are supporting this event."
PaddleFEST 2005 is a project of the Carbon Mountaineers Marine Corps
League #996.
