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56th
Madison Regatta
Organizers
say volunteers make event go
despite lack of title sponsor
By
Don Ward
Editor
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2006
Madison
Regatta Cover
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(June 2006) – After surviving – and
profiting – from last year’s Madison Regatta event
without a title sponsor, the nonprofit committee heads into
its 56th year of Unlimited racing on the Ohio River again
without a title sponsor but more confident than last year
that it can pull off a successful event.
Although Anheuser-Busch pulled out of the sport after the
2004 season, including the retirement of its famous “Big
Red Beer Wagon” Unlimited race boat, Budweiser has contributed
$10,000 to be an associate sponsor for the 2006 Madison Regatta,
set for July 1-2. Additional local sponsors have lined up
to put their names on various heat races and festival events.
The first official Regatta festival event begins Saturday,
June 24, with almost daily activities taking place through
July 2.
This year’s president, Buddy Gaw, said he learned from
last year’s experience during which the not-for-profit
committee operated on a $500,000 operating budget without
a title sponsor. The committee made up the lack of sponsor
money at the gate, enjoying perfect weather and a large turnout
of fans on race days.
“We are happy to have the $10,000 from
Budweiser, but that is no where near the amount we would have
if we had a title sponsor. But that doesn’t prevent us
from having an event; it just makes our job harder,”
Gaw said following the June 14 Regatta membership meeting.
Gaw said the lack of sponsorship money forces the committee
to curtail its advertising and marketing budget. The committee
must find more creative ways to promote its event via word-of-mouth,
the Internet and people willing to donate their time to distribute
brochures to neighboring cities.
“It’s really the volunteers who make this event
happen. These are the people who love Madison and love boat
racing. The rest is all a big party with friends and family
over the Fourth of July weekend,” said Gaw, 59.
A Louisville resident who works in the boat
transport business, Gaw has been a member of the Regatta’s
safety and rescue team since 1981 and this year will spend
his time on shore directing the activities in and around the
pits. “It’s the president’s job to see that
things get done, but not the president’s job to do it
all. I’ve had tremendous help from a lot of people, and
everything is on schedule for another great year.”
Vice president Monte Sever, 33, of Madison said the running
joke each year is that the committee is giving everyone a
raise – another zero – since it is an all-volunteer
organization. “There’s a misconception out there
that we are getting paid to do this, but we all donate our
time because we love the Regatta,” said Sever, who will
become the youngest Regatta president ever next year.
Sever wants the public to provide its opinion on what type
of other boat classes it would like to see run on the river,
and says people may pick up an informational packet on the
various classes at the Madison Regatta office on the riverfront.
“We love the Unlimiteds and vintage and 2.5 stocks, but
we are open to new ideas as we move ahead,” Sever said.
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Buddy
Gaw
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Unlimited historian Fred Farley told the committee
he would not want to see the current classes go away because
the Unlimiteds and 2.5 stocks represent the full spectrum
of the sport’s premier class (Unlimiteds) and the lowest
entry class of race boats.
“The 2.5 stocks show that a guy doesn’t have to
mortgage his house just to get into the sport, while the vintage
exhibition races demonstrate to the fans that these boats
didn’t just drop out of the sky; it took years of technology
development to get there,” Farley said.
Sever said he wasn’t suggesting that the Regatta change
its program necessarily, but that he wanted to hear the public’s
input on the current race program for possible consideration
for the future.
Gaw, meanwhile, made it his goal to increase the Regatta membership
under his reign and accomplished that mission with an increase
of nearly 30 new members. The organization boats about 110
members this year, up from about 80 before he took office.
“We wanted to get some new blood into the organization
because these oldtimers won’t be around forever,”
he said.
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Photo
by Don Ward
The
annual Madison
Regatta parade
draws a crowd.
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Advance admission to the Madison Regatta is
$20 through June 25, with children ages 10 and under free.
Admission at the gate is $25. The admission price includes
three nights of Music on the River entertainment from Wednesday-Friday,
June 28-30.
A $3 collector’s button sold at the music gates or an
admission wristband is required for attending Music on the
River activities. Saturday night’s music program and
fireworks show at dusk is free to the public.
The Regatta committee also sells VIP passes for $125, cold
pit passes for $20, tarp spaces and hospitality tent tickets.
A parking pass is $20; an official race program is $5 and
a pit tour is $3. RV parking is available.
• To order any of these options, call
the Regatta office at (812) 265-5000 or visit the website:
www.madisonregatta.com
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