Paddle the Bay success

by Ezabelle Janssen, Staff Writer

PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, with the Rotary Club of Pass Christian as they celebrated a century of service during their 6th annual Paddle the Bay fundraiser on Saturday, June 21st at Henderson Point Park. 

As Club President and former Pass Christian Mayor, Leo “Chipper” McDermott explained, “This event has been going on since the pandemic. It started because of COVID; we had normal drawdown fundraisers prior to that, but needed to come up with something less face to face, and here we are today.”

The pandemic posed a challenge for the Rotary club, but thanks to Lisa and Marshall Smith, the group overcame it, resulting in a one-of-a-kind fundraiser that the community loves and benefits generously from. 

What a turnout! Groups like the “Ageless Pirates,’ and Pass Christian’s Mayor, Jimmy Rafferty, were in attendance. A perfect sweltering day to be on the water; dogs were even seen enjoying the festivities – call that doggy paddle.

Don’t have something to paddle? Don’t worry, they had you covered with rentals at the ready. 

Once reunited with land, a good time awaited, with cookout food, cornhole, music, and friends. As Lisa Smith stated, “That’s the thing, we want you to come out and paddle but also to just mingle, and there is a lot of mingling going on!” 

“It’s not a race on the water, it’s a race to see who can raise the most money.” The excitement at Paddle the Bay reached new heights as non-Rotarians who raised the most money were honored with stunning Gold, Silver, and Bronze paddle prize packages.

The spotlight shone brightly on Robert “Butch” Thurmond of Slidell and his NAVO Gravity team, who took home the coveted Gold. Hot on their heels were Arianna and Kyle Ryker from SIP Paddle Rental, proudly claiming the Silver. Not to be overlooked, Elizabeth and Robert Wood from Boston secured the Bronze, showcasing their stellar fundraising efforts. 

Steve Etheridge of Pass Christian emerged as the lucky winner of the paddleboard raffle, hosted by SIP Paddle Rental. Every dollar raised from this raffle was donated to the Rotary Club of Pass Christian, amplifying the impact of this fantastic event and reinforcing the spirit of community support. What an incredible day of camaraderie and competition for a worthy cause! 

Club President elect, Jeff Moore, affirmed, “I’m sure they will all tell you, it’s a great event, and it is really involved with the community. It really does help fund us for the year and our mission. Last year, we were able to help a town in the Florida Panhandle that was devastated by a hurricane.” 

The Rotary Club of Pass Christian is deeply committed to the community of Pass Christian. Historically, the club has built homes, aided in restoring the community after Hurricane Katrina by purchasing city vehicles, playground equipment, and tech supplies for the library, and constructed the Dayton Robinson Scout Hut. Their support extends further through financial contributions to the local school district, as well as various other community projects. 

True mutualism was evident as Pass Christian High School Interact Club members volunteered at the event, including President Kalina Godlewski, Secretary Olivia Dedeaux, Langdon Wittmann, Madelene Vo, Stella Huffman, and Carter Ladner. Jeff Moore compassionately expressed, “We really like to spotlight them, they are a great group and really help with what we’re doing. We would like to recognize them for their contributions to the community.” 

The City of Pass Christian is blessed to have such involved and passionate clubs and members in its midst. See you next year to paddle and celebrate the Rotary Club’s 102nd year! 

The club is still accepting donations if you would like to contribute. Checks can be made to the Rotary Charity Trust Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 143, Pass Christian, MS 39571. Online donations can be made at GiveLively.org.