Announcing AW's 50th Anniversary Gala
AW's 50th Anniversary Gala Event <?xml:namespace prefix = o />
Teva will host American Whitewater's 50th Anniversary Gala at the Teva Mountain Games on June 5th. The event will celebrate the past 50 years of American whitewater paddling while raising funds for AW to continue protecting and restoring the nation's whitewater rivers. To ensure that the soul of whitewater remains intact at the Gala, formal wear will be recommended and sandals will be required. We hope that the entire boating community joins us in Vail, Colorado at the Lodge at Vail for this great event.
Whitewater celebrities from the past fifty years of paddling are planning on attending. Never before has so much whitewater history been gathered in one place at one time. AW is thrilled to act as a conduit for the celebration of the people, innovations, and river conservation successes that have defined our sport.
The Gala will include a fundraising dinner, visual displays documenting the history of whitewater in the U.S., a Paddlers Art Gallery dedicated to artists who have been influenced by the movement of water, and river trips on local Colorado rivers.
All are welcome to join us so please "Save The Date" for this momentous occasion as AW celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Rivers of ReflectionThe theme for the Gala Dinner will be "Rivers of Reflection…50 years of American Whitewater". Boaters from the past 50 years are hailing this as "Whitewaters first ever family reunion". The focus of the evening will be on the history of whitewater paddling in America and will feature a museum of paddling artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia. How can I get tickets?Tickets for the Gala dinner are $100 per person and proceeds will help ensure that AW is around for another 50 years. Corporate tables of eight seats can be purchased for $800. Tickets can be reserved by emailing Ben VanCamp or calling the AW Outreach Office at (828) 252-0728. |
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Sponsorship OpportunitiesLimited sponsorship opportunities are available for this momentous occassion in paddling history. American Whitewater hopes that organizations and manufacturers who have assisted AW through its first fifty years will help support the start of another 50 years.
Legacy Sponsorship $2,000 - $4,999 Includes:
Heritage Sponsorship $1,000 - $1,999 Includes:
Silver Sponsors: $500 - $999
Bronze Sponsors: $300 - $499
Corporate Tables $800
Individual Tickets $100 |
Shuttle Vehicle 1934 Edward S. Acton (Freedom, NH) |
For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Ben VanCamp.
Why Vail?AW decided to hold its Anniversary Gala in Vail to draw national attention to the access and preservation issues present in Colorado. "Of all the states in the Union, Colorado has the muddiest waters when it comes to navigability and the right to float," observes Jason Robertson, American Whitewater's National Policy Director, "American Whitewater has been at the leading edge of the battle to defend the public's access privileges for nearly 50 years and have been at the forefront of protecting Colorado's rivers since we were founded."
Since playing a vital role in creating grassroots opposition to construction of Echo Park Dam and helped to protect the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument, American Whitewater has been active and successful in Colorado. In 1955 American Whitewater captured the very essence of our mission and motivation in describing the threat of Echo Park when we wrote, "No trustees will feel the loss more keenly than our expanding group of river enthusiasts, for of all our National Parks none is so perfectly suited for river travel as is Dinosaur. In an area dedicated as a Park because of the unique splendor of its canyon scenery, there is every variety of water to be enjoyed-from the most placid to the most exciting and challenging. It is an area of primitive intimacy; of breath-taking grandeur, of lovely sand beaches, swimming holes, grassy banks, and sheltered groves of box elder and cottonwood trees. Echo Park Dam will destroy these experiences and beauties forever." Six months later, the dam project was terminated and the river was saved.
In the past decade, American Whitewater has successfully helped to defend the right to float in almost every one of Colorado's major watersheds including the Gunnison, the Arkansas, the Blue, the Platte, the Taylor, Cache la Poudre, Clear Creek, and Dolores, to name a few. |
Vail Valley in Summer |
Where can I stay?
A special discounted room rate has been setup through the Lodge at Vail for guests attending the Gala Dinner. For more information contact the Lodge at Vail. For additional lodging packages during the Teva Mountain Games please call (800) 525-3875.
What are the Teva Mountain Games?
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The Teva Mountain Games, the country's largest celebration of mountain sport, soul and culture returns to Vail, June 3rd to 6th, 2004 the professional and amateur Outdoor Adventure athletes from locally and around the world will converge upon the mountains and rivers of Vail to compete in five sports and ten disciplines including: freestyle and extreme kayaking, kayak and raft paddlecross, bouldering, speed and dyno climbing, mountain bike trials, criterion and cross country racing and mountain trail running.
For more information about the Teva Mountain Games taking place on June 3rd to the 6th in Vail, Colorado check out the Teva Mountain Games website. |
Are there places to paddle near Vail?The mountains and rivers of the Vail area will provide paddling opportunities for boaters of all levels. Here is a mere sample of the opportunities that the Vail area holds for us. Early June brings warm sunny days and lots of snowmelt which makes it one of the best times of year for paddling in the Colorado Mountains
Upper Arkansas |
The Numbers on the Arkansas River |
For more information regarding AW's 50th Anniversary Gala Celebration email Ben VanCamp or call (828) 252-0728.