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  12:24 a.m. June 11, 2014
Volunteers needed for 2014 KARM Dragon Boat Festival


dragon boat race knoxville
Dragon Boat team members and drummer in 2013 dragon boat race.

KNOXVILLE — The 2014 KARM Dragon Boat Festival is set for Saturday, June 21 at The Cove at Concord Park for high intensity boat races, music, children’s activities and great food. This free public event expects to attract thousands of people eager to participate in a day of festivities while showing their support for Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM).

Volunteers are still needed to help make the event a success. All volunteers get a free event T-shirt and will be placed at one of many volunteer stations, including marshaling, docking, registration, children’s activities, food services, and parking, among other areas. To volunteer, please visit www.volgistics.com, contact volunteer@karm.org, or call (865) 673-6540 for more information.

karm
Homeless people waiting to enter KARM for food and overnight shelter.

To date, 47 teams have registered to compete in racing 41-foot Hong Kong style boats across the water on Loudon Lake at the Cove. Their challenge goal is to raise is $300,000 to provide 160,428 meals at Knox Area Rescue Ministries for those in need in our community. Donations can be made at www.karm.org/dragonboats.

This year’s festival, celebrating its twelfth year, is Saturday, June 21 from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with award presentations at 4:00 p.m. The 47 corporate and community teams of 22 members each, including a steerer and a drummer, are expected to compete for a variety of awards, including gold, silver and bronze overall medals, and winners in community, businesses, churches, and other categories. Many additional prizes will be awarded, such as best dressed drummer, best team name, best tent design, top individual fundraiser, top team fundraiser, and more. Each team member is encouraged to raise at least $150, which will provide 80 meals for the needy who come to KARM for food and shelter.

Free parking and shuttle bus service will begin at 7:00 a.m. and will be available every 15 minutes from the former Kroger parking lot at Kingston Pike and Northshore Drive in Farragut and at the Farragut Town Hall. Parking is also available at all baseball fields around The Cove.

Festivities will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. – starting with opening prayer, the national anthem and the eye dotting ceremony. The first race is set to kick off at 8:45 a.m. The drummer’s parade will be at 12:30 p.m.

Many thanks to event sponsors WIVK-FM, Newstalk 98.7, The Sports Animal, WBIR-TV, Lamar Outdoor, The Knoxville News Sentinel, Rick Cox Construction, Publix Super Market Charities, Regions Bank, StrataG, Pilot Flying J, First Tennessee Foundation, Fairfield Inn and Suites – Marriott and U.S. Foods.

For additional information about this year’s KARM Dragon Boat Festival visit www.karm.org/dragonboats, Facebook.com/KARM DragonBoatFestival or call 865-673-6540.

Published June 11, 2014

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