Binks Addiction Awareness Fun Run ‘Gaining Speed’
With a little less than a month to go, the second-year Binks Fun Run For Addiction Awareness on Lake Norman is halfway to its 50-boat registration goal. But organizer Kurt Binkley is emphasizing quality over quantity for the North Carolina event.
The co-owners of the Cowboy & Indian-dubbed M37R Widebody catamaran from DCB Performance Marine, Kelly O’Hara and Kiran Pinisetti were among the first participants to register for the Binks event. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill PIx
“For this lake, 40 to 50 boats is plenty,” Binkley explained. “But it’s not the boat count I care about. It’s the quality of the people I care about.
“I want this to be an experience people can’t wait to return to,” he added.
Binkley lost his son, Travis, to a heroin overdose in 2019. Nicknamed “Binks,” he was 23 years old.
In addition to seeking sponsors, Binkley is still looking for donated items to fill gift-bags for participants, as well as raffle prizes. So far, he has secured a pair of coolers and a $200 gift certificate from speedonthewater.com to its online merchandise store.
Friends of the organizer, Chad Shutter of BRP Marine Custom in Denver, N.C., and his father, Bob, are supporting the event through sponsorship and recruiting participation from customers such as Kelly O’Hara of Upstate New York. O’Hara and Kiran Pinisetti of Indiana are bringing the DCB Performance Marine M37R Widebody catamaran named Cowboy and Indian they co-own to the event.
Though sign-ups are required, the event has no registration fee for the run. Instead, Binkley is asking captains and their guest for donations. There is no minimum contribution.
“We’re gaining speed,” he said. “But we could still use more sponsorship and donations.”
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