Professional Boat Racing Returns To Lake Alfred
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t’s like NASCAR on the water! Watch boats go up to 100 mph as they race on Lake Alfred April 26 thru April 28 as the US Title Series kicks off the season at Lions Park in the City of Lake Alfred. The event will feature one day of testing, on Friday, and two days of boat racing on Saturday and Sunday. Watch as multi-generational drivers push their limits to win this year’s trophy. Safety is key for the drivers. There will be an enclosed race driver capsule escape demonstration and re-certification for capsule drivers. The underwater Houdini exhibit will show the safety features of the enclosed module and that the driver can escape within fifteen seconds in case of any crashes or emergencies happen on the water. It’s a family affair! The boat racing community is like a big family – it’s a community of people that have a passion for racing but also enjoy each other’s company as they travel around to different areas during the racing season. Many boat drivers reside in the north, so of course, their favorite races are the ones that bring them down to enjoy sunny Florida! Many take a couple extra days around the race time to see the sights and soak up the rays. In addition, these race teams are comprised of grandfathers, fathers and now, sons AND daughters – taking up the torch and continuing this racing tradition for many more years to come. About the organization: Race for the Kids Foundation (“RFTK”) is a 501(c)(3) organization to raise money for organizations that help children. The foundation members raise charity money through the venue of boat racing. Their mission is to promote boat racing that benefits groups such as the Lake Wales Kiwanis to help build Barney’s Dream; named for a boy that was
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confined to his wheelchair his entire life; Troop 113 Auburndale Boy Scouts; Lake Alfred Little League; Florida Lions Camp – a camp for challenged children; Citrus Center Boys and Girls Club of East Polk County; Autism Speaks; St. Jude’s Children Hospital; The Humana Society of Polk County for its Paws to Read Program; Sunshine Foundation Dream Village and American Diabetes Association for Juvenile Diabetes. This year, the Race for the Kids Foundation will be generating money from the boat races to benefit Autism Speaks and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. How Race for the Kids Foundation got its start: “Basically, RFTK started with me and my late wife, Mary. She was the one who gave the event its name.” says RFTK President, Gary Levin. He added that RFTK began on the shores of Tiger Lake at the Florida Lions Club and was created as a fundraiser for camp repairs after the 2004 multiple hurricanes. Levin is grateful for all those who have helped make RFTK possible. “What we started, and where we are today could not have been successful without, my late wife, Mary, and good friend, Bill Hosler, who is RFTK Vice-President who is a spry 87 years old. Believe it or not, he was still racing at 82! Both charity and racing are in Bill’s blood.” Race boats are Hydroplane and Runabouts and utilize 2-cycle outboard motors with methanol race fuel mixed with castor-based lubricating oil. There are ten (10) classes of boats that will be racing. A schedule can be found on the US Title Series website: www.USTitleSeries.net Boat racing benefits youth activated projects with
revenue generated from admissions, vendors and sponsors. Race Teams will set up their pits starting on Friday, April 26, from 10 am to 5pm. Practice runs occur on Friday from 1 pm to 5 pm. Practice runs are held Saturday morning beginning around 10 am. Race times on Saturday and Sunday are from 12 noon to 5 pm. This race is estimated to generate $250,000 to $500,000 for the local economy. Admission is $5, free parking and kids 10 & under are Free! Thank you to the City of Lake Alfred, Polk County Sports Marketing and Today & Tonight Magazine for helping make this race possible. If you would like to send a donation to help support the event as well as our benefiting charities, they may be sent to: Race for the Kids Foundation, PO Box 7507, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. For more information on the race, please visit www.USTitleSeries.net
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