The decks have been scrubbed, the flags hoisted high, and the sailor whites are pressed and ready — the eighth annual Yachts of Love Charity Regatta is just around the corner!
On Sept. 9, the Santa Barbara community is invited to attend this exciting sailing event, hosted by the Santa Barbara Yacht Club to benefit Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care’s Serenity House, a hospice facility.
Tom Parker, a member of the SBYC Board of Directors and president of the Hutton Parker Foundation, has been named chairman of the event. This year’s Regatta promises to be a thrilling day of racing, entertainment and goodwill.
“This event acknowledges our Volunteer of the Year, Julia Kauffman, who has been volunteering with VNHC for three years at Serenity House,” said Lynda Tanner, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care. “Julia’s volunteer duties have included direct patient care, kitchen and housekeeping assistance, administrative tasks and mentoring new volunteers. She performs all these tasks with a smile, positive attitude and a compassionate presence. We are so grateful to her for her time and dedication to our organization.”
This year the Regatta will celebrate heroes, including local safety personnel and military servicemen, who will serve as Celebrity Skippers aboard the boats. About 25 representatives from the Santa Barbara City Fire Department, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office will wear the captain’s hats on the racing boats — all gunning for the Yachts of Love trophy.
Adding to the day’s excitement will be the visiting USS Halsey and its crew, many of whom will join the racing and observation boats as guests of the Santa Barbara Navy League. The USS Halsey, a guided missile destroyer named in honor of Fleet Admiral William Frederick “Bull” Halsey Jr., who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, will provide a majestic backdrop to the Santa Barbara Harbor from Sept. 7-10.
Throughout the day, guests will have the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for $10 each or purchase five for $40 and have a chance at winning any of 50 raffle items that have been generously donated by local businesses. Guests can also bid on exclusive silent auction items including two Fire Station dinners, and an original painting by Ralph Waterhouse of Waterhouse Gallery.
The event is open to the public from noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The day will include sailboat races, spectator boat rides and a Yacht Club beach party. Tickets are $75 per person and $12 for children. Sponsorship opportunities are available at $10,000, $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 levels. Sponsorship includes admission to the regatta, barbecue and naming opportunities. Guests are invited to come right at noon to sign up for a ride in one of the 11 spectator boats.
The Santa Barbara Yacht Club is one of this area’s most recognized institutions, and the Yachts of Love Charity Regatta is one way members give back to the community. This event truly makes a difference by showing appreciation and support to the nurses, home health aides, counselor and volunteers who tend to the needs of others every day. Now in its eighth year, the Yachts of Love Charity Regatta has raised more than $700,000 to date benefiting subsidized care at VNHC’s Serenity House hospice facility.
For tickets and event information, click here or call 805.690.6290. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Lora Barker at 805.690.6215 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
— Jennifer Guess is a publicist representing Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care.
