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Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Set For Oct. 27-Nov. 4
Oct 9, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CALUSA BLUEWAY PADDLING FESTIVAL SET FOR OCT. 27-NOV. 4 Fort Myers, FL, Oct. 9, 2007 - The second-annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, a signature event, will happen Oct. 27-Nov. 4 on the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail in many of Lee County's waterfront communities. The county has been recognized as one of the best U.S. kayaking destinations by both Paddler and Canoe & Kayak magazines. Paddlers, competitors, families and outdoor enthusiasts from around Southwest Florida, the state and the nation are expected to attend the one-of-a-kind eco-event. Nine days of festivities will include three competitive canoe/kayak races, a pro-am kayak fishing tournament, paddling clinics and demonstrations, seminars, family activities, archaeological and environmental events, guided tours, a speakers series and a ribbon cutting for a new leg of the Great Calusa Blueway. After the success of last year's inaugural event, the 2007 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has been expanded to include areas of Pine Island, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva islands, Bonita Springs and Estero, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Alva and Buckingham. Communities along the Caloosahatchee River represent the most recent addition to the nearly 100-mile long paddling trail. New maps for this portion of the trail – called Phase 3 – are expected to be available Oct. 30 at the festival. All blueway maps are free. Festival times, dates, locations and more can be found online at www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com More festival tidbits and details: Many Lee County hotels and motels have created "paddling packages" for out-of-town kayakers and canoeists traveling to Southwest Florida for the festival. Such packages are listed at www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com and at www.fortmyers-sanibel.com Dozens of local businesses have stepped up to sponsor events. For a complete list, go online to www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com The festival is being coordinated by Lee County Parks & Recreation with assistance from above mentioned businesses and municipalities, non-profits, conservation groups, chambers of commerce and others. Festival attendees who visit three or more events can be entered in a drawing for a two-night stay at the Tarpon Lodge, which sits on the Great Calusa Blueway in Pine Island Sound. Festival attendees who attend at least one of the free Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival Speakers Series will be eligible to win a $100 gift card to Bass Pro Shops. Competitors in the Imperial River Challenge, a time-trial race on Oct. 27, stand to win some of the $1,000 in prize money. Competitors in the Midpoint Paddle Sprint (Oct. 27) and the Paddle of the Pass (Nov. 4) can gain points on the Florida Competition Paddlers Association circuit. Blueway festival merchandise is available. In the spirit of the eco-event, festival T-shirts are made of 100 percent organic cotton with vegetable-based inks. Those who enter the race events and fishing tournament receive T-shirts; others can buy shirts at various event sites for $12.50 from Lee County Parks & Recreation. Images from last year's festival, the paddling trail, the festival logo and the paddling trail logo are available to area media upon request. Contact Betsy Clayton at (239) 433-3855 or bclayton@leegov.com. Additional media-related information is available in the online pressroom. |